Best Places to live for African-Americans 2013 edition

It has been a little while since I dropped a piece and I feel like the time has come to drop some interesting knowledge on us all for the 2013…!

Recently, I have been reading a lot of articles about the best cities and best places to live for _____ (fill in the blank). Best place to live to be black, best place to live to be single and a woman, best place to live for small business and best place to live if you are an old racist man.

The lists are Insane I know but I came across a few “best places to live places for African-Americans” and I got tired with what I saw. Everything talked about night life, and social mobility and yada yada yada with the same places all over the top cities.

Sooooooo….

I wondered why…???? Why are these places so wonderful for black people? So I embarked on a journey.

AND!

My journey brings us all here. I conducted some simple but arduous research on the topic “best places to live = quality of life for African-Americans” using the latest U.S Census data available because I really wanted to know THE reason why these cities are tops for Blacks. And I wondered if we eliminated the top cities (because we all can’t afford to move there) where are some other places to live. I figured there had to be some empirical evidence to the commotion and not just heresy. After further review there were some very surprising results some that may even challenge our initial perceptions about “home”.

Methodology: (geek fest)

First things first… Some sort of methodology must be explained. I’ll spare the majority of you who could care less. I randomly sampled Metropolitan Statistical Areas across the country to gather a data pool of 50 metros where rankings and listings could be had easily. There were a few metro’s omitted by chance and happenstance, Charlotte… My beloved Charlotte was left out of the sample as well as Tampa-St. Petersburg and a few other metro’s not readily memorable. After, looking up these metros and seeing where they’d fit in the sample I made a decision to leave them out because they would not have cracked the top ten. Each category (variable) was weighted according to a simple importance to balance out size and scale in the ranking systems.

** quick stats review**

Median—- Midpoint—– half the population above midpoint and half below

Mean—— Average— hope you know this one.

But if you want to know more about weight and rankings give me a holla but enough mumbo jumbo here goes the listing with a small Caveat about each Metro.

Top 11 Metro’s with the high percentage of African-Americans:

Rank

Metropolitan Name

% of Metro Population that is Black

1

Jackson, MS

48.5%

2

Memphis, TN

46.5%

3

Baton Rouge, LA

36.0%

4

New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

35.9%

5

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

34.9%

6

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

34.5%

7

Richmond, VA

31.6%

8

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

28.8%

9

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

28.5%

10

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

27.8%

11

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

23.7%

Worst 11 Metro’s with the lowest concentration of African-Americans:

39

Pittsburgh, PA

9.4%

40

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA

9.2%

41

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area

9.1%

42

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

9.0%

43

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

9.0%

44

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

7.8%

45

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

7.6%

46

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

7.4%

47

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO

6.8%

48

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

6.5%

49

Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ

6.0%

50

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

3.8%

**Caveat**

If your major concern is living around a lot of black people you may want to live in one of our top 11 metros for percentages. Leading the list; ironically, is my current home, good ole Jackson, MS with 48.5%. As you can see most of the top 11 metros are in the south (yes D.C is still the south) —excep t—Detroit which is the northern most metro with a significant black population proportion. Some cities such as Jackson are 80% Black but put into a larger context the entire metro is approximately half black. Jackson is also home to two HBCU’s, Jackson State University and Tougaloo College (private) and the world famous Sonic Boom (THEE I LOVE). Joining Jackson at the top of the list are other southern brand names such as Memphis, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houston and Atlanta. So if black is a preference south is the destination.

JSU Sonic Boom Marching Band

On the flip side, if living in a major black metro is a major priority for you then you may want to avoid these bottom 11 metros. Sad to say, but my hometown is smack-dab on this list at #43 but the most surprising Metro in the bottom section, at least to me, is Los Angeles. Surprising to the point that LA metro is home to one of the smallest black population percentages …. Who would have thought!!!???? Bottoming out at only 3.8% is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metro, preceded by Phoenix, San Diego, Denver and Seattle, staples of the west coast! So if you are looking to get away head west.

Remember this is percentage of the entire metro not total numbers. So let’s clear up some mis-perceptions right about now.

Metros with the largest African-Americans Populations:

Rank

Metropolitan Name

Total Black Population

1

New York-N. New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

3,547,777

2

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

2,078,097

3

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

1,816,074

4

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville

1,709,297

5

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

1,552,896

6

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

1,306,933

7

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

1,246,925

8

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

1,031,798

9

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

1,019,524

10

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

999,267

11

Memphis, TN

611,652

Metros with the Smallest African Americans Populations:

39

Oklahoma City, OK

153,476

40

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

150,459

41

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY

149,522

42

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

145,122

43

Dayton, OH

139,190

44

New Haven-Milford, CT

116,411

45

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

109,475

46

Akron, OH Metro Area

93,922

47

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

86,164

48

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

78,087

49

Chattanooga, TN-GA

77,223

50

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

68,694

**Caveats**

If shear number matters to you then look no further than New York…NEW YORK…NEW YORK!!!!!! (Frank Sinatra voice). New York City’s Metro which is essentially the Tri-State area which to mention is the most populous place in this U.S of A is home to over 3.5 million African-Americans. It is the capital of the black populous… only IF big numbers meant everything. New York City is also home to the more black business owner than any other city in the US. Here on the list you also see more major national and international cities. Here is where LA reclaims its fame. Before you seen it with only 7% black population but looking at totals you realize 7% of LA metro is almost a million. So witj respect to everything else blacks are a small part of LA Metro, numerically of course!

downtown Durham, NC

The bottom 11 metros are babies compared to their bigger black cousins based on numbers alone. But let’s really look at where these places are located. You may notice they are the in between places across the country. Which I can comfortably say aren’t on anyone’s publicized list of must move to places, each may be wonderful in their own right but let us not fake like Hartford is a black mecca of life either, (or is it?). One side note here is Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. There are a small amount of African-Americans there at 145k but the metro itself is home to only 504k people. So it is not as bad as it may seem… Clarification is necessary!

Enough populous talk lets dig into something a bit more important.

My ninja Hartford?

Metros with the highest % of African-Americans who are currently married

Rank 3

Metropolitan Name

% Blacks Married

1

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

40%

2

Raleigh-Cary, NC

38%

3

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area

36%

4

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

36%

5

Oklahoma City, OK

35%

6

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

35%

7

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

34%

8

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

34%

9

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

34%

10

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

34%

11

Richmond, VA

33%

Metros with the lowest % of African-Americans who are currently married

39

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

27%

40

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

27%

41

St. Louis, MO-IL

26%

42

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

26%

43

Memphis, TN

26%

44

Buffalo-Niagra Falls, NY

25%

45

Pittsburgh, PA

25%

46

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

25%

47

Dayton, OH

25%

48

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

24%

49

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

21%

50

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

21%

**Caveats**

Well, well, well maybe Hartford metro may not be too bad after all, no? If you are looking to go somewhere where love (marriage) is in the air and they aren’t afraid to hold on to it. These top 11 metros boast the highest % of blacks married anywhere. The big difference between the top and bottom is roughly 19% but the difference between #11 and #39 is only 6%. Even though the spread isn’t that significant the 30% mark is pretty huge in statistics (keep that mind). Those cities boasting the lowest marriage totals are not the places to go if you are looking for love to be in the air.

Sure you may say a lot of the people there are in turn single but some underlying reason IS behind being single there. Something I would like to dig deeper into in future blogs to find out what is common in these marriage deprived cities. Sad again but the Midwest is over represented again on the bottom half.

*SIDENOTE* African-American families who are married earn on average between $8-12k more than African-American families who are not married. One of the benefits of marriage is dual-incomes and more mature decision making with dual-incomes. We know this isn’t an absolute but as the numbers suggest, married folks earn more… (Correlation does not equal Causation either)

Metros with the Youngest African-American Populations:

Rank 4

Metropolitan Name

Median Age

1

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

24.3

2

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

25.7

3

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

25.8

4

Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ

26.4

5

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

26.9

6

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

27.7

7

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA

27.7

8

Oklahoma City, OK

27.9

9

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

28

10

Columbus, OH

28.9

11

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

29

Metros with older African-American Populations

39

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

32.1

40

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

32.3

41

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

32.8

42

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

32.9

43

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville

32.9

44

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

33.3

45

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

33.4

46

Richmond, VA

34.1

47

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

34.6

48

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ

34.6

49

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

34.7

50

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

35.3

Downtown Minneapolis

**Caveats**

Look no further for young people heaven then in the Twin Cities Metro Area of Mpls-Stp. My hometown is surprisingly home to the youngest African-American Population in the country (given my 50 samples of course). But looking a bit more intensely at the Twin Cities’ age breakdown you see that 26% of the Twin Cities black population is between the ages of 5-17. So they’ll be young for quite some time to come.

Places with the older populations are the larger metros ironically; D.C, NY, LA and SF all boast pretty mature audiences. You see the old traditional metros of Chicago, Philly and Detroit also pop in there with more mature citizens.

Downtown St. Paul

Metros with the Highest Median Black Family Income:

Rank 5

Metropolitan Name

Median Black Family Income

1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$74,933

2

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

$52,696

3

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$51,347

4

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

$51,212

5

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ

$50,982

6

Richmond, VA

$50,098

7

Raleigh-Cary, NC

$50,074

8

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

$49,855

9

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

$49,617

10

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

$48,948

11

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO

$48,865

Metros with the lowest Median Black Family Income:

39

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

$33,373

40

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

$33,250

41

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

$33,228

42

Akron, OH Metro Area

$33,152

43

Cincinnati-Middletown OH-KY-IN

$33,151

44

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

$32,561

45

Dayton, OH

$32,323

46

Pittsburgh, PA

$30,308

47

Chattanooga, TN-GA

$28,181

48

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

$27,888

49

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY

$27,045

50

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

$26,463

Where the money at? Median family income tells you the middle value for black families. 50% of families earn more than the dollar amount and 50% earn less than the dollar amount. The metro with the highest median income is the D.C/ DMV metro hands down, with no competition, period. D.C’s black families earn up and around 74k. This is 22k more than any other place in the country. Several west coast cities follow up with low 50k’s like; San Diego and San Francisco at 52k and 51k, respectively.

The bottom 11 has almost half the incomes of the top 11 metros. The 414 or better known as Milwaukee has the lowest median black family income at a disappointing $26k. Also on the list are about 7 other Midwestern Metros which reflect the low earning culture for many African-Americans across the Midwest.

Let the Educated Unite!!!

Metros with the highest % of African-Americans with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher:

Rank 6

Metropolitan Name

% of Blacks with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

31.6

2

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

27.8

3

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO

27.7

4

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

25.7

5

Raleigh-Cary, NC

25.7

6

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

24.2

7

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

24.1

8

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

24

9

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

23.7

10

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area

23.2

11

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

23.2

Metros with a lowest % of African-Americans with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

39

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

16.7

40

Las Vegas-Paradise, NV

16.5

41

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

16.3

42

Cincinnati-Middletown OH-KY-IN

16.2

43

Pittsburgh, PA

15.1

44

New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

14.1

45

Buffalo-Niagra Falls, NY

14.1

46

Chattanooga, TN-GA

13.6

47

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

13.4

48

Akron, OH Metro Area

12.2

49

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

11.2

50

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

10.3

**Caveats**

Education is one of the best indicators for quality of life and social mobility for an individual. Education level is also a great indicator for future income levels and a parent’s education level is the best indicator for a child’s “to be” education level. As you may see; a trend is emerging… Washington D.C Metro boasts the highest percentage with 31% of all African-Americans with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. But…Here is where we need to draw a line of caution. % with a bachelors or higher doesn’t mean the metro is producing such a high number of graduates but that a high number of college graduates choose to locate in a particular metro’ and/or are produced from the metro.

The bottom 11 including hot spots such as Miami, New Orleans and Las Vegas are good for visiting, fun and tourism but when looking for a talented work pool or educated peer group hesitate when looking to locate here. The worst Metro is Youngstown at an abysmal 10% and again Midwestern cities are poorly represented here 7/11.

Top Metros for $75k+ Families

Rank 7

Metropolitan Name

% of Black Families earning $75k+

1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

49.6%

2

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

35.6%

3

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

34.5%

4

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ

34.3%

5

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

33.7%

6

New Haven-Milford, CT

32.6%

7

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

31.9%

8

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

31.6%

9

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area

31.2%

10

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

30.4%

11

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA

30.3%

Lowest Metros for $75k+ Families

39

Dayton, OH

18.7%

40

Akron, OH Metro Area

18.6%

41

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

18.2%

42

Jackson, MS

18.1%

43

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

17.7%

44

Pittsburgh, PA

17.0%

45

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

16.9%

46

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

16.8%

47

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY

16.1%

48

Chattanooga, TN-GA

15.0%

49

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

15.0%

50

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

12.5%

Wow oh wow! Almost 50% of black families in the D.C area make over $75k. THIS IS HUGE and I’m sure comparing to the other metros you can see why. Not only does the DMV already sport the highest median black family income but also the most black families making over $75k. More likely than not this can be attributed to the high level of federal government jobs which start most applicants off at 55k. Also the amount of options in the DMV for living, school and work which support government and the regional economy far exceeds any regional economy in the U.S aside from New York of course but that is concentrated in the NYC. By far the DMV is the place to be for money making families.

Bottoming out is our lone wolf Youngstown and Milwaukee/Chattanooga. They are really becoming sad cases for black people and families especially. Only 15% of black families are making 75K plus. Those making $75K+ are your small business owners, mid-level executives, mid-level bureaucrats and school administrators, just to name a few. There needs to be more positives in these bottom places before I would ever recommend them. *shrugs*

————————————————————————————————————————————

Enough numbers I will now give you the total list for the top #50 Metro to live, work and play for African-Americans. Remember I added weights to each ranking for importance and there are 5 other categories which weren’t disclosed for the sake of time. I honestly didn’t want to bore you with more stats but if you want a more in-depth look at things or if you want a personalized metro ranking based on your particular industry or field give me a holla and I will definitely put something together for you.

*SIDENOTE* I will help you by putting together a top 5 list but I will not give you a top 50. Tons of work but definitely will help you out if you are looking to relocate. Just tell me what is important to you, your industry and how important and I will make it happen for you.*

VOILA…!

Final Rank

Best Metros for African-Americans

1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

2

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

3

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

4

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

5

Raleigh-Cary, NC

6

Richmond, VA

7

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metro Area

8

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

9

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

10

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

11

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

12

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

13

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

14

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

15

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

16

Jackson, MS

17

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO

18

Baton Rouge, LA

19

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

20

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville

21

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area

22

Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA

23

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

24

Columbus, OH

25

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

26

Jacksonville, FL

27

Memphis, TN

28

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

29

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

30

New Haven-Milford, CT

31

Oklahoma City, OK

32

St. Louis, MO-IL

33

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN

34

New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

35

Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ

36

Kansas City, MO-KS

37

Las Vegas-Paradise, NV

38

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

39

Dayton, OH

40

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

41

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

42

Cincinnati-Middletown OH-KY-IN

43

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

44

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

45

Akron, OH Metro Area

46

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

47

Buffalo-Niagra Falls, NY

48

Pittsburgh, PA

49

Chattanooga, TN-GA

50

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

If you could not guess by now the DMV shuts down the competition. They are top metro in 4 out of the 11 categories. Not only tops but in the top 11 for most anything having to do with African-Americans. Sure you can find something wrong with it but home to Howard, Georgetown, American University, and George Mason not too far away and etc. It is a power house for education, employment, black business and fun. The energy and depth of experiences in the DMV is unreal and quite frankly incomparable. if you are looking to relocate for better opportunities for yourself and family then look no further than the DMV.

The 5 power house metro for African-Americans are as follows; D.C, Houston, New York and Atlanta followed by Raleigh.

If any of you have comments about a particular city or would like to know a bit more about the cities/metros or states feel free ask me. I’m also willing to put together a personal list for those looking to relocate for a particular industry just hit me up.

There are 300 Comments.

Love. your article…thank you…you’ve answered so much already…but can you go e more specifics on Dallas/Arlington TX. area? I’m a 45 year oldsingle black man escaping hell…aka Milwaukee…looking for diversity in a city..with just a little more black culture to it.

You have to forgive my long delay. If you haven’t already relocated, Dallas is a great place to consider. They have a strong fortune 500/1000 base, and a strong black leadership in the public sector for employment opportunities. Not to mention all of the pro-sports entertainment, night clubs, and neighborhood bars you could ever enjoy. The people are southern but big city southern. Only side-note you should be mindful of is that the Dallas Metro is huge. Fort Worth is very close, in Texas terms, but seriously an hour away and more given traffic. A lot of commuting for people in the metro. Staying in Dallas is a great way to escape the travel problems but not all parts of Dallas are created equal. A growing part of Dallas is close to the newer University of North Texas campus. check it out. (a lot of other more serious considerations must be taken into account before leaving but I’m sure you know that)

Hi everything was very interesting. my question to you is I have put in for low income apts in San Antonio, Texas I’m also into retail and customer service I really would like to no how is pay range and jobs

Graduation is quickly approaching and I can’t tell you how useful this was for me. I started to research these things but I could never find all these variables in one place it was beginning to be such a tedious process that I gave up quite frankly. I am thankful that you have put all this in one place. I kinda already knew that D.C was my next place to live but you’ve given me all the reasons that I needed to solidify that decision!

Why didn’t Jacksonville, Florida make your list. I am relocating soon and since I work from home, I can work anywhere. My income bracket is in the 75K plus category. What would you recommend for a single black woman in her mid 40’s?

Jacksonville did make the list but they were number 25 based on the numbers and weights. So they are decent but not enough to recommend in the top 10. If you work from home and have an income bracket in the 75k plus range you could live anywhere you want. If you’d like to be around more single men in your age range you should consider Dallas, San Fran (very liberal), or Boston. If you are seeking climate, or career similarities it would change your options. Tell us more.

I LOVE DC and looking at those stats just confirmed me wanting to move back!!!!! But I also think you should have included a cost of living chart in this because some of your top cities like DC, NY, LA have the highest cost if living and may also be the reason where money was concerned they were the top. But very good list I def will be referring back to it!

So true! I came across this looking to get out of DC! I’m currently in DC and if you 1.Have a degree 2. Trade or 3.If you don’t know someone who knows someone, getting a job is hell. I’m in SE on the border of MD and my apartment is $1000 month, not including utilities. To some that’s not bad but if you are a single parent and only make about $37yrly, it gets tight real fast. I make too much for assistance but cant afford health care on my salary, go fig. And if you want to live in a nicer area plan on spending anywhere between $1200 to $2500 a month on a 1br.Real Talk

Thank you for your comments. I actually did a slap to the face when I published the rankings without having a Consumer-Price-Index or Average Rents for a 2-bedroom on the list. I have made some adjustments so that 2014’s list is more accurate and will represent the best (bargain). Thank you and you!

But D.C is very expensive because it is very popular right now. The job market of having to know someone to be hired is very true everywhere. Since jobs are scarce right now across the entire country, people are looking out for those affected by the 2008 recession “their friends and associates” first. New, random hires should kick off mid-2014 if economy maintains current progress.

Annoyed…having to rewrite a comment < << Anyway lol @Q’s comment. This was a great/very useful post. Im currently in between schools (hoping that wherever I go for Prof school is where I’ll settle down, or close to it cuz I HATE moving) so I can def use this in my decision making. Im personally more of a suburbs person (long-term/raising a family) but knowing where more diverse cities are will help.

Well at least MN made it on the list. RI ain’t even nowhere to be found. Not even on the worse place to be list. Damn near non-existent. And this is why I must get out! LOL D you might have convinced me to set my sites on the DMV area though. I will say that I’m pleasantly impressed with all the black success in that area. Hmmmm!!! (taps on chin…and goes to Indeed and types in Washington D.C in the location.)

Yes. I used to live in the Balto/DMV area about 7 years ago. Lost a job there; couldn’t land another one as quickly as I would have liked there or some other major cities like ATL or Philadelphia (as I have relatives there), so I tried Dallas TX; which I had never contemplated before until it was suggested by a relative. At that time (2007) it was a bargain in terms of housing compared to the NE corridor of the U.S. In 2007, you could still find apartments here right in the heart of the city (downtown) for the upper $600s a month. Loft-style apartments for under $900 a month. Plus most of the apartments were modern with a slew of amenities that you just didn’t get at that price on the east coast. I Landed a job fairly quickly. It wasn’t the best. It wasn’t the worst. But it did allow me to make a transition. But as Texas’ reputation for being a hub for jobs, particularly during and post recession spread, more and more people have come here seeking jobs, making them now harder to find and driving up the market in terms of rental rates (I am still not sure that I want to buy a home here and stay here permanently). The prices of apartments in and near the city’s center has skyrocketed. Dallas’ downtown area still hasn’t caught up to other major cities to warrant those prices. The traffic has become horrendous here over the last 4 years. You will definitely need to get a car a.s.a.p. as public transit here while improved since I first relocated here is still not going to cut it. And Dallas drivers are worse that the drivers in the DMV. But as a relatively young (late 30s) single black man, IMO Dallas sucks socially. I am sorry but that is just the way I feel. The blacks here are so not progressive. I work in downtown and many will look you right in the face and won’t speak to you. And if you speak to them many won’t speak back. They act like they don’t here you or see you attempting to extend a greeting. I am a member at a chain of gyms here and the “brothers” don’t even speak to you; not even the black man’s ceremonial head-nod as if to say “what’s up, man?” The people here, especially the ones in my age bracket are terribly vapid, insipid and superficial. They are like hollow shells; mostly on one-track and un-substantive. For the few cool brothers that I have met here, there have been here for a while (before I was) and have expressed a sense of fatigue with the culture and mentality here and want to relocate. But of course, major factors like jobs come into play. One of them, was successful in relocating/transferring with the company he was working for so that was a “friend-down” for me (though we still communicate periodically). But I guess at least I put my short time here to use by getting my master’s degree. The question for me now is do I want to stay here or relocate somewhere else. I am really leaning toward relocating; maybe Houston or Atlanta, both of which ranked higher on the list than Dallas.

Texastea, you are soooo right!!! I commend you for take the time to express yourself. I have lived in the Dallas area since 2007 as well, and I am “fatigued with the lack of cultural experience AND superficial empty shell attitude”. This attitude is also extended in the “church”. Don’t be fooled by the major media ministries here in the DFW area, when you get right down to it – there is no substance. Yes, it is still fairly economical to live here, one can purchase a house, and have more money in their pocket but at what price?? I have found that I have more, but I’m dying inside- I have talked to several other people that say the same. Personally, I got to get outta here.

I’m in the process of relocating myself, and it’s a struggle — you really have to DIG on the net i.e. look through forums and what not. The info isn’t readily available — thought you’d think it would be by now. That being said, there are plenty of people, like the anonymous person beneath this post, who are filled with a wealth of knowledge and more than willing to offer their opinion.

I have lived in Atlanta, Memphis, Jackson, MS and now I reside in Dallas. Here is the scoop.

Atlanta was cool. If you are young and black it is definately the place to be. Don’t look for a relationship there. The men are vastly outnumbered by the black women. Successful, money earning black women too. This has caused fellas not to even try to bring their A game when pursuing a woman and they go through women like water there.

I’ve noticed for some reason in areas with a lot of single black women, the black men seem to slouch more. It’s as if they know they can pull an attractive women while being on their F game. While being unemployed, etc.

I am a black woman and to be honest I would be so nervous to be married in a place like Atlanta. Women underestimate how tempting it can be for any man to be completely surrounded with women everywhere. Single women. Attractive women. And yes many of them cheat on their wives. I unknowingly dated several “married men” while living there so I speak from experience.

The job market in Atlanta is not that great now. It was hit hard by the recession and has yet to fully recover. Also, the jobs don’t pay much. You won’t be getting a DC salary in Atlanta for most jobs. The wages are extremely low. The companies pull talent from the surrounding colleges and give them fancy titles and peanuts for pay.

Memphis – The Worst. Absolutely. Unequivocally. No doubt about it. The crime rate is through the roof. Incredible amounts of poverty. The white people are largely very racist. The blacks all distrust one another. Working in Memphis you will find the blacks there, especially the black women, are the most cutthroat you can find anywhere. Very clever. Very devious. Very underhanded.

It’s difficult to explain how its like to work in Memphis. There is a lot of wage theft and people taking advantage of the poor people in the city. Companies are listing jobs with titles such as “Director” or “Senior Manager” and the positions are starting off at $13 dollars an hour to $14 dollars an hour.

There is a lot of fraud in Memphis. This will make things like getting an apartment be as onerous as applying for a mortgage. This will also make getting jobs harder. When I was interviewing in Memphis I was asked interview questions such as “Have you ever been to Prison”.. etc. This is a standard interview question there. Even though I have never been arrested and look like I could be a preschool teacher.

I was asked a lot “why’d you move to Memphis”, “what were you thinking”, etc. The news scared the hell out of me. Murders, Robberies, Rapes, Drive By shootings, etc. Memphis is currently experiencing a population decline and the taxes are through the roof.

Jackson, MS – Nice. It was very nice. However, it lacked good quality jobs. If you weren’t a nurse or a teacher or a professor, doctor, lawyer, what were you going to do for a living? Jackson lacks big businesses that can supply people with good jobs. Most folks work in the Chicken factory Tyson Foods. There is a lot of unemployment. Jackson is also very segregated just like Dallas. When I lived in Jackson, 90% of my time was spent around blacks. Now that I live in Dallas, 90% of my time is spent around whites. Just saying – the races are all divided into their own little communities even though I currently live in a “white” Zipcode now that will soon be changing as I want more interaction with people and folks here stay inside their homes all day.

I’m assuming you were the post beneath this one, as well. We REALLY appreciate your input. When relocating, blacks have to deal with an entirely different set of questions/ consider so many different things — what’s the black community like, what’s the racism level like, is hard for us to find a job, yadayadayada — it’s too much.

My name is tony.. I was interested in knowing about black business entrepreneurs. Im interested in going there to start a business and pursue a masters degree… how does it measure up in a business/educational perspective?

I could not agree more about Atlanta. Please do not be compelled to move here just because it is the ‘black Mecca’. I lived there for 10 years, all the while struggling to break through to a ‘corporate’ job (think Delta, Coca-Cola), with an undergraduate degree in Finance. I was struggling for what little crumbs of jobs with folks who did not even have a Bachelor’s degree (banking, call center jobs, etc.), with miserable pay. Moved to the Mid-west and got a job that basically doubled the salary I was making. Now I have to make up for lost time and lost income by trying to save to get caught up to where I should be in my life right now. I wouldn’t move back unless I was guaranteed a VERY good, well-paying job. I got blinded by all the hype and excitement, but have learned my lesson. Think twice about a place everybody is running to move to. Oh, and you will enjoy the variety of men to date, but yes, women outnumber them and there is a lot of competition/lack of commitment on men who can date a different woman pretty much every day of the week. So if you have a long-term relationship or marriage in mind, DO NOT make Atlanta your choice, and find a better environment where you can succeed in all areas of your life. I love Atlanta with all my soul, but it took moving away to see how much it cost me for having stayed there for so long.

I’m wondering what part of the mid-west did you relocate to? I am a soon to be 28 year old and a single mother of a 10 year old daughter. I have a bachelors in Communication Studies and am currently breaking into the freelance writing business. I would love to be somewhere that is not too expensive to live and where finding employment in the writing field or radio field is relatively easy. Also looking for great family entertainment, single entertainment and dating entertainment. I am currently in the DFW metroplex of Texas and have been here all of my life. I am so ready to go; I am even considering moving abroad.

Another note…word of advice..learn to look beyond the color lines, and don’t take things so personally. I moved from an employer where we were 99% black (Atlanta) to one where it was 99% white (Midwest). Oh boy, was I depressed when I moved. But you know what? I had to change my perspective and check my biases at the door. I have good working relationships with the folks at work, and I am doing WAY better financially than I ever have since graduating with my first degree 10 years ago. So what if they are racist..you are making your money and setting goals, don’t be distracted by would-be detractors. You will not be in that setting forever,therefore, make the best of the time that you have there. Sometimes you must get out of your comfort zone and learn to adapt. Look into the Midwest, there are plenty jobs- well paying, less competition…and hey, if it gives you a boost being the only minority who is applying for the job, all the better for you. I’m keeping it real here, folks.

Thank you for keeping it real. I believe you are absolutely correct about your description of the Midwest v. Atlanta. However, as a person who has lived in the Midwest forever, and a day, we simply no longer care about personal earnings and desire more culture, especially after being denied it for so long. A lot of blacks leave mid-west seek more culture and will give up higher pay, for it. Similar to blacks in the south who are tired of the relatively lower wages, and indifferent about the culture and want out.

Leaving the Atlanta area after seven years of craziness. Too many man whores. I call it the Sodom and Gomorrah of the South (Strip Clubs, African Americans Competing, Pettiness, Churches, Gossip, Con Men Galore, Swinger Clubs, Open Adultery, and Serial Dating or people dating six men or women at one time). A lot of unhappy people stuck in low paying jobs with no way to get out. I moved to the ATL believing the hype that it is the “Black Mecca.” It’s a city with a big facade, beautiful skyline, and soon a new Ferris wheel, yet ignorance reigns supreme among African Americans and the “Good Ol’ Boy system is masked in the “At Will” employment system. If you are a straight man who wants to remain “Manly” then stay far away. If you are a married couple please realize that the majority of married couples who move to the ATL area end up divorced, because everyone and anyone will hit on your husband or wife, even when you are standing by his or her side.

I never got caught up in the drama because I’m from a “Black Mecca” Detroit and I was raised with great morals and values, and I’m not desperate!

I love the Atlanta comments and I’d have to agree totally. Atlanta is very overrated and is a saturated job market. I’ve always felt like Atlanta is a good city to move to if you are already “established” and hold degrees beyond a bachelors and a handful of connections. The good ol’ boy system still applies here and having been in mgmt jobs since I arrived 6 years ago, I can tell you that the pay is weak.

I too am from Detroit yet despite the economic turmoil up there as of current, Atlanta is far more bankrupt (morally).

Now this is a beautiful city and if you love to people watch then Midtown is a great place to spend time. Aside from the abundance of restaurants here there isn’t much to the night life as people would think. This is a very pretentious metro area. Granted I know while growing up in Detroit it was all about the Nautica jackets, polo socks all the way to the hat and what not but Atlanta’s dress and appearance lacks class hands down.

A big part of the man whoring in Atlanta is a two-fold problem; the female to male ratio and the streetwalker dress code that so many of our young women indulge in. The women down here (not all) are thirsty!

The last place i’m looking to relocate is the midwest and believe I’m looking to move from here within the next 18 months. I lived in DC – MD area for 3 years and loved it but the cost of living is so high. If you can find affordable living definitely move to that area.

Arlington, VA is one of my favsRockville, MD is nice but pricey but still very niceGaithersburg, MD a bit further from the metro area but a relaxing drive, very suburban…feels like suburban areas of the Detroit metro area.Bowie, MD home of an HBCUI could go on and on but I love that area just wish I could take the Georgia heat with me.

Thank you very much for your response. I have visited every place that you named and I lived in Jackson for 2 1/2 years. One of the greatest places to live if you are ready to build from the ground-up. Jackson has very low barriers of entry for lot of entrepreneurs, very little “professional competition”, a lot of demand and very little suppliers. However, the hardest obstacle to overcome is the cash, investment capital.

Thank you for the inside information on those three metropolitan areas!

Now I will speak on how its like to live in Dallas, TX. Dallas is cool. There are jobs. Most don’t pay well. There is racism. Unbelievable racism. Especially on the jobs. But you don’t see it much when you are out and about. Of course Dallas is segregated. The vast majority of blacks live in South Dallas in areas like Lancaster or Desoto. I presently live in North Dallas and rarely see blacks. Weird for a city with over a million blacks and I get out. Although I’ve heard this is a common complaint for blacks who move to upperclass areas in Dallas. The black people are almost nonexistent.

Why does this matter? Well, simply because I occassionally like seeing my own thats why. It makes for a very boring, bland existence to not have anything in common with who you live around. No one gets out where I live. The community is very quiet. Full of older people. Very settled, married, older couples. Not much more than that. Their idea of a good time is going to one of the chain restaurants and having a meal.

I had to actually work to find a black church and a beautifican.

In all of my experiences reading these types of blogs, we put so much focus on the blacks making large amounts of money we forget just how prevalent racism and economic suppression still is in this country.

In every city I’ve lived I can count on one hand the numbers of people I personally knew that were making $80K. Those types of salaries generally are reserved for the management, director, executive level people.

Here in Dallas, many blacks don’t make that. Those types of jobs are still largely given to whites.

The black community in Dallas consists of three types of black people. The highly accomplished blacks who you never really see and most are married to whites and living in white neighorboods and frequenting golf courses and country clubs. They have nothing to do with the black community once they make it.

The “stay afloat” blacks who have an average job and are just trying to stay afloat. They don’t go out much and are very careful. Very conservative. Homebodies really. Most seem to lack personality.

And the wild and crazy, never have a boring day, South Dallas residents who are straight hood. Have never held a job. Don’t want a job. And live life from one party to the next. They tend to be so thuggish they couldn’t find a job even if they wanted one because that thugged out way about them is a put off to potential employers.

Read the article on google “Why Blacks are Wary of Dallas” published by D Magazine for more into on what its like to live here.

Thank you for your response. Dallas is a great place to live but finding the niche neighborhood where wealthy blacks live together is a bit of a conundrum. I have lived there for a few months on extended vacations and I remember highways more-so than anything else.

Measuring racism is far too-complicated empirically for this blog but your personal accounts are a great point for many people to consider.

I understand you were surmising the different groups of blacks in Dallas, and I am sure there are more types, and great neighborhoods, but like my time in Jackson. It took me almost two years to find where these people lived and hung out.

What “Anonymous” said about Dallas is definitely true. I moved here from the DMV/Balto area about 6 years ago and am now considering relocating, mainly for socio-cultural reasons. I am a single black male in my late 30s; degree (2), athletically fit, I guess average to decent looking, clean cut…etc. etc. . As I indicated, I did not grow up here and am certainly not a country boy. But I moved here because circumstances dictated that a find a place with a cheaper cost of living to maintain my independence. And quickly. To be very blunt, I simply am not fond of the black culture here. How “Anonymous” stratified and characterized them was on point. Most of them are preoccupied with gaining access to predominately white social circles and will sell their souls to do so. And if and when they do, as a fellow black person, you can forget even getting a “hello” or “good morning” from them if they ever see you on the street; the workplace as well. In addition, many blacks here either overtly or covertly desire to lay up with a hispanic/Mexican, but most of these Mexicans here make it plainly clear that they too consider blacks a lower life form, but the blacks here still chase them nonetheless. Then there is the plethora of those that are uneducated in every sense of the word and have no shame in displaying it to the world. Uneducated and “country” beyond description. The blacks here aren’t progressive at all; not really friendly at all. In fact I find many of them rather, cold and aloof, toward their own race more than anyone else. So whether you want to or not sometimes, you will often find yourself at work, in traffic getting to and from work, and in the house, eating and watching satellite/cable TV. And then if you do go out,the activity here seems to be limited to a movie or dinner and then having to like really drive to get there. The clubs are very spread out. If you go to one, get tired of it there, then you have to get in your care and get on the highway to get to another one. Dallas really has no spontaneous or authentic urbanism. It is till very slow and late. The people are terribly insipid and lack substance. And they carry an air of elitism even though they may only be making 30-40,000 year. I am really contemplating relocating as I don’t want to spend the rest of the short time that I have left as a young brother here.

Wow, I hope you ENLIGHTEN more black men to considered your comment, “In addition, many blacks here either overtly or covertly desire to lay up with a Hispanic/Mexican, but most of these Mexicans here make it plainly clear that they too consider blacks a lower life form, but the blacks here still chase them nonetheless.”.
Truly, it is rather scary to think that our African-American race could become “non-existent” here in the USA at the rate many brothers are going (especially in the west and southwest regions) with the trend of deeming non-African descent women the cream-of-the-crop. What ever happened to us, black people? Here is a old thought to considered…….”If you do not stand for or understand anything, you fall for everything.” Well….most of you who are reading this “think-tank” may already have a cultural edge in regards to the importance of African/African-American progression and awareness.

Wow… this list is great. I currently live in Dallas and am looking to move. I have family here but we aren’t that close so moving wouldn’t really have an effect on them. Just like somebody stated above Dallas is segregated. I’ve been here five years and it took two years for me to even think I liked it. And within this last year and some change I have been seriously thinking about moving… out-of-state.

Being from Illinois, Chicago sounds nice so I’m glad it was at least in the top twenty. I have been thinking about Charlotte, NC, which didn’t even make the list. My best friend is in Raleigh. I lived in Atlanta and LOVED it. Not sure about going back. Then there is NYC which I know cost two arms and four legs but I’ve always wanted to check it out. As a single woman with no children I have time to decided so I will be weighing the pros and cons of each city. I’m also bookmarking this page to read it better at a later date. I’m guilty of skimming the words to get to the list. Peace…

Hey K StoweHave you decided on Charlotte or not? I am too from Chicago and I am thinking of relocating to Charlotte myself. I’ve even thought about Hampton, Va and Atlanta, Ga but after reading some of these posts ATL is so much not a choice now, they just confirm what I thought about the place anyway:/

I am from Chicago ( South Side) as well and lived in DC Proper as well as Arlington VA. When I first relocated to the DMV area, I was culture shocked due to the cost of living. I thought I was crazy paying 800 to live in Lake Meadows, but when I have to pay over 1000 to live in a not so great area. I wanted to come back home. After three yrs, I began to love DC, but decided to go back due to the high housing cost( paid 1800 for 1bd in NOVA) for my now husband and I. Now, that I am back in Chicago I am ready to go back due to the culture and true young professional vibe. I want to raise my children in an area that cultivates education, has the earning potential and get away from the madness of Rahm Emmanuel!!! You all mentioned Charlotte, this is another place I would consider going. My husband and I were all amped to move to Atlanta, but due to the difficulty in finding a job it never worked out.

K Stowe. I moved to dallas 6 years ago and am contemplating relocating now for some of the same reasons you named. Dallas just doesn’t have a strong or progressive black culture. They work, drive to and fro (sometimes for hours), east BBQ, drink beer and watch football. At at least one time there were jobs here, but the pay is still low. And that was fine when the cost of living was low. But now the cost of living (rent) in the Dallas metro area has skyrocketed. To me, Dallas just simply offer enough culture and authentic urbanism to merit those prices. Dallas is very…”prescribed” for lack of a better word: tends to follow a very tired script.

@Anonymous do you find that Houston, TX is the same way? Where do you think you will move from here? I live in NYC– Bedstuy Brooklyn to be exact and though I love the black-gentrified mecca, NY in general is wearing me down– too expensive, the dating sucks, the work life never ends…yada yada

Very informative comments! I have heard that it is a bit difficult for black women in DC to have long term committed relationships and relationships that lead to marriage due to the women to men ratio. Any comments on this? Also, do you see this in the more suburban areas farther out in Maryland or Virginia?

Hey what’s up! I’m from DC, born and raised. Yes as the last post stated, it is very, very, very difficult for black women to settle into any descent relationship in DC. If I remember correctly the ratio is like 5 women to 1 male, something ridiculous. That is one of the reasons why I left. Currently, I live in Denver. I am working on my MA. The prestigious university in DC don’t feed into DC Public Schools. Most of the student population in those university are from other states. I love my home town and miss it a lot. However, I’m wondering where I will go after I receive my MA. Denver is pretty cool. You can create what you want, it appears diversity is what the Denver area is striving for. But the trade off for me a least is, coming from the Chocolate City is that Afri. Amer. community is small and or Black men are chilling with white women and little culture. Though keeping in mind the great Black American History (Five Points) in Denver. Racism is overtly alive here in Denver. Racism is covertly expressed in DC and DC is segregated. MD and VA is where DC folks run to get away from the city life so it’s pretty much the same until you get to Germantown, and Rockville, Maryland area less of us. Arlington, VA is the same. I hope this is understandable…rushing so I can go to sleep. One more thing cost of living is FABULOUS here in Denver compared to DC. You work your ass off to keep up in DC. Good Luck. Blessings.

I was raised in Denver and attended college and lived in Nashville for 7 years before moving back to Denver. i have been back for 4 yrs and i am ready to relocate. Mainly because of the dating and social scene. Jobs are ok, the city is beautiful and there is lots to do but I am tired of it. I am 32, single, no children and have not had a date in 9 months and my last 2 dates were with white men. I was spoiled being at an HBCU where there were other AA striving for the same things that I was. I am trying to get back to that, just not sure where yet

I am considering a move and Denver is on my radar. I am from Nashville and am really seeking a change. Job wise Nashville is pretty good. Pay is decent. Housing prices can be tricky….depending on the neighborhood. Not really much of a social scene for Blacks over 30….Nashville is a College Town. I’m single….but completely open to dating others. I do have school-age children as well. Just wondering if Denver has good jobs/pay/schools/affordable housing?

I was born and raised in Denver and have been living in Georgia for the past 10 months. Colorado is a beautiful state with a very small black population. Housing is reasonable and the job market is more promising for higher education degrees individuals. Black culltural activities are not very plentiful however, if you are open ended minded to exploring different experiences you’ll fit in nicely. Denver is known as the interracial Capitol of the world therefore if you want to experience dating different races then this is the place. Also consider Aurora CO which is the second biggest city and borders metro Denver. Also I find the Atlanta comments to be true and am now considering where I will move next.

Welcome to my world, I live in the Midwest too. Very family oriented. If you are not tidily married with 2-4 kids in tow, you will really feel out of place. At my job (where I spend most of my time, obviously), in a team of 10, only two of us are single, and the other lady has a grown son. My family here have lots of kids themselves and their lives revolve around them, and I feel like I have nothing in common with them. Also 32, single, do not want kids or to settle down any time soon…I want to travel and just enjoy my life in a setting with like-minded people. So I’m looking for a city with a vibrant social scene and happily single folks.

Incredible list. Been looking for a year or more for a nice semi-comprehensive list like this. Personally, a high black population percentage is not my priority, but I’d like to live somewhere that has a good offering of things to do for all cultures, is progressive (in all or most ways) and where I don’t have to climb hills and mountains to find another black face. I also work from home and have my own business, so I’m not all that interested in any particular industry. I’d love to get a top 5 list if that’s still being offered.

I would just like to thank you for all of the information you provided. It was very very helpful!!!

I would love a top 5 list.

I am a recent graduate of West Virginia State University. I have a BS in Education and I am a certified Business Teacher in the state of WV. I am researching places to move and settle down. I am a 39 year old single female and would some day (SOON) get married. I have a 20 year old and an 18 year old. I am orginally from Chicago so I am looking for black communities and culture. I love the city but hate the traffic, cost of living, crime, and fast pace. I would like a variety of things to do. I HATE the cold weather. So I want some place warm.

My list of wants: Warm climate, middle class black communities, city (not too big), dating (I would like to get married), and any other information you can give.

Very good list,with great details, Im From San Francisco and cost of living is very expensive and economy sucks in California. I live in Dallas TX but considering moving. I have My close family here but Dallas seem to get back there old ways .I here alot. About Houston, also read different articles, and very diverse,progressive more urban, and with this list I will considered,checking for. Htown …

I appreciate the information. I’m originally from Columbus, OH but currently living in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte is saturated with people from everywhere else. A lot of people migrated here. There definitely seems to be a shortage of men in comparison to women. Segregation is live and well here. Income levels are relatively low but common for the south. Unemployment rate is high compared to other places. I believe it due to the number of people coming here (like me) seeking a better place to live. I personally liked Seattle. I’m opened to dating out side my race at this point. Someone should do a study on the ratio of African American men to women. I think we will be surprised to see what is available to us African American women which are little to nothing.

I’m supposed to be moving to Charlotte this fall. Now, I’m kind of weary. Last thing I need to do is relocate to a place with a struggling job market. But black men are vastly out numbered by black men. A large portion of our population is behind bars. If you’re an intellectual — forward thinking black person in general — man or female — its slim pickens out here.

I noticed that the eastern region seeks more opportunities,compare too other areas.the education system is larger, more black owned buisness, very urban, strong public transportation center, very vibrant history,and more population of singles and very liberal.down side the whether, but four seasons, ethnic diversity, well NYC, Boston, Philly DC, not much different then the west. Its more women then men, but the positive you have more married folks and brother seem to have more success rather it music, buisness, politics due too it’s history. California is a powehouse of the westcoast but its suffering, the other states not going to be far look at pheonix or vegas. Seattle and Denver are all ways the best kept secret in The west. California have more brothers incarcerated then any state Texas not that far.education system also going down due too immigration problems couple cities went bankrupt Stockton, vallejo Compton.the south is good more for families tho Atlanta Houston Miami Austin be more attractive for singles …Thanks for the list.

Being from Baltimore, I love the East Coast, some I’m gonna be a bit biased. The culturally vibrant neighborhoods, restaurants, playhouses, museums, the festivals are some of the finest. Maryland is pretty central to all other Eastern cities, NY, DC, Philly, and other smaller enclaves residing the in the northeast and mid-Atlantic corridor. Live in Houston for a few years, but got too home sick. Had fun in Houston, but it’s still the south.

Being from Baltimore, I love the East Coast, so I’m gonna be a bit biased. The culturally vibrant neighborhoods, restaurants, playhouses, museums, the festivals are some of the finest. Maryland is pretty central to all other Eastern cities, NY, DC, Philly, and other smaller enclaves residing the in the northeast and mid-Atlantic corridor. Live in Houston for a few years, but got too home sick. Had fun in Houston, but it’s still the south.

Very true!!! Some regions have better lifestyle depending on his or her status. If married and retired probably Tampa bay or Phoenix etc. Single best options probably the eastern region or Atlanta ….Houston or la or the bay …

I really do not think Milwaukee is that great of a place. Maybe my view is tainted a bit because I was born and raised here. I am going to keep this brief but highlight a few points. This city is segregated and the racism is apparent. I mean it can be clear when you should not be in a certain neighborhood, oh and do not try to rent, you will surely feel it, no matter how professional your job is. I mean, I should not have to lose myself or who I am to appeal to a standard to make up for not being of a certain ethnicity. There have been many of times where I felt that was what was expected of me.

But lets move away from information that could be a matter of my opinion and get to the numbers. Milwaukee is the largest city in the State. It has the largest population of African American’s. However the unemployment rate as of Jan. 2013 is 7.5%; the national average is 7.9% but unemployment rate for the State is 7.0%. Not to bad when you compare it to the national average. Think again, the unemployment rate does not include those that are currently incarcerated.

I promised I would keep it short, so I am going to switch pace a bit. The city and metro area is not that culturally diverse. Yes you will find heavily populated areas of blacks, but I mean in terms of social differences; it is rare to find the various classes of people that have risen to the different social levels. Most of the African Americans I have met that are living “well” work in the education field, (which speaks to being ranked in lowest 75k families). It is very rare that you see African Americans advance in corporate America. Many of our people are also caught up in the same things as far as style, look, ideas, music. Education is not really valued and we lack entertainment venues. So these are some reasons why I think Milwaukee should not be rated as high as it is. I cant say which place should jump Milwaukee or Wisconsin on the list so I leave that up to you guys.

Hello! I currently live in Grand Rapids, but I have been trying to relocate for TWO YEARS! Your list is informative but I need some serious help/ recommendations on where to relocate.

I would like to move somewhere with a moderate cost of living, access to African American culture, change in seasons, with nice apartments for a reasonable price (no more than $800). I dont want to move somewhere and realize that I can only afford to live in the hood.

I would like to live in a quite/ homey/ historical part of a city, but I am open to surburbs. Nightlife is not an important factor, but I would like to live in an area that has the posibility of jazz clubs, museums, malls, e.t.c. Available and single men is a plus. I have a BS in Biomedical Science and currently work as an Executive Assistant in a non-profit. I would like to stay with a non profit, but I’m willing to go to a city where I can get a fresh start career wise. I am also looking for a city with a good university known for its MA in Nonprofit Admin programs.

Areas with a strong population of young/ successful Black people is a plus (I am 25). I previously lived in Chicago and would like to go somewhere new. I am not sure if cities like Atlanta or DC are a good fit for me. PLEASE HELP! I need a top 5 list. Feedback is welcome. [email protected]

This forum is great. I love all the input. I currently live in Chicago and next year when I finish undergrad I’m leaving. I went to Atlanta last month and while I have fun, I couldn’t see myself living there. But I would definitely visit on a regular basis. Low cost of living, great nightlife and plenty of my own people. That’s definitely important factors for me. I am single with no kids and not in a relationship. I considered DC but the cost of living is high and after the post about the difficulty black women face settling into a relationship there. I figured since it was “Chocolate City” and home to some prestigious colleges, it would be a good place to meet an educated good black man. Guess I was wrong about that. Been thinking about Houston for a long time also. I see that there are alot of blacks there also and a good place for a future Accountant such as myself to live. However, I heard that it’s pretty racist down there. Also, I am a little worried that since I am not bi-lingual I might have more difficulty finding a job especially since I researched that about half of the population in Houston is Hispanic. If there is anyone out there that can help me with my decision, it would be much appreciated. Looking for low cost of living, nice city, good jobs and good paying jobs, low racism, and a pretty good night life. A pretty good selection of black men wouldn’t hurt either but that may be pushing it. Note that it is the last thing on my list.

I too live in Chicago now and I have lived in Atlanta for 13 years. Its cool and fun but hard to keep a realtipnship. I am looking into Orlando/Tampa, Jacksonville, and Houston. Preferably Florida though…I have always wanted to live in Florida but I am researching all options.

I will be graduating in May with my BA in Communication. This list is very helpful. I am looking to relocate been looking at Houston, Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix. I am single in my mid 30’s so I want to go somewhere that has a pretty good dating scene and nice weather all year round. I hate the cold, snow and ice. Any other information about Houston, Atlanta, Austin or Phoenix would be greatly appreciated.

I forgot to mention I currently live in Kansas City, which most of us here call it misery, it is not such a great place to live. It is to hot and there is nothing to do here and the dating scene is horrible as well.

I live in Houston, TX. It is a nice are the job market is great and there are several areas to choose from with great schools and great neighborhoods. There’s also midtown and uptown areas within the inner city that are safe and nice and are more suitable for single people that enjoy being close to Houston night life. I have lived in other areas CA, GA, NY and Houston by far surpasses them all. I get bored at times because I know the ins and outs of Houston but I jump on a plane and visit other areas and I always return realizing that Houston is a great place, it’s not segregated, extremly diverse and theres tons of entertainment, universities and overall quality of life.

This is an excellent and helpful article. I am probably most of your parents age so my needs are somewhat different. My husband and I are looking for quality employment, safe neighborhoods, good schools for our 6th grader and a strong and thriving black middle class. As a black man in Madison, WI it is harder for my husband with a Masters degree to find employment than a white man with a violent criminal record. So we are looking to leave and find black nirvana. We are considering Atlanta as friends have told us it has some nice suburbs for families, any suggestions for specific areas? Suggestions for other areas are welcomed as well [email protected]

I was born and raised in Madison, WI and have been here all but 2 years when I went to UW Milwaukee. Be prepared if you come Wisconsin. Its worse now than when I was in my early 20s. Wisconsin locks up more black men than any other state. The achievement gap is deplorable, only 9% of black students in the state scored proficient in reading this year. We have stayed here all of our lives as we had family and a church community that have encouraged us, but now its time to go.

Hey Pooka, I would say if your looking for good schools for your 6th grader, move to Gwinnett county Georgia. I would suggest Norcross as a city to consider. Gwinnett county has some of the best schools in the state. Clayton county is always in danger of loosing it’s accreditation, Dekalb and Atlanta Public Schools are in hot water over the cheating scandals, even so, I would moved to N.Dekalb in areas like Dunwoody or Sandysprings. The only other county is Fulton. Let’s be clear, NORTH FULTON! Look at Alpharetta it’s beautiful….and YES! there are black in all of those areas…maybe not as many as Atlanta proper, but you won’t feel out of place….

I do NOT recommend Georgia for the following reasons: 1.)too much crime. (too many Blacks who are thugs)2.)the compensation/wage is extremely poor. (why? it is a city in the deep South and it is not the best breed of Black Americans)3.)country Black folks.4.)poor school system.(criminal)5.)high unemployment for qualified, well-educated, and articulate Black professionals.6.)extremely racist. yes, this is still the South7.) boring…the people are lame. I’ve resided in Atlanta, GA for three (3)yrs. and four (4) months and I’m ready to leave. I’ve been ready to leave. Financially working towards establishing another location in a more vibrant city. NOTE: Just because a city has a large Black population is NOT the indicator that there are excellent career opportunities and or all is well and glorious. Unfortunately, on the contrary! Metropolitan areas with Blacks are usually crime ridden, poor compensation, menial jobs etc…People who say, “I like Atlanta” are in the majority…average people with average incomes.” If that’s you…then this city is the perfect fit. Fortunately, it is NOT me! On a scale of 0-10…the Atlanta area is a 3 for Top Tier well-educated Blacks. For average to below average Blacks…it is an 8. HUGE difference! Know the reality on the ground before you invest in your move.

Well, thanks for publishing this article it’s informative as is this forum(wink, wink)

I would like to address the comment made stating you would not find very many educated Blacks in New Orleans to speak to in your social circle, as it is WHOLLY UNTRUE! I am a black woman from New Orleans-I graduated from a private school and was a debutante as is the social norm of most middle class blacks…In addition, most of the people whom I know are HIGHLY educated and cultured, as preserving our cultural identity and heritage and being educated are the pride of the black middle class…YES there is a considerable black middle class in New Orleans. The middle class blacks pride themselves on being cultured, well traveled, knowing good gourmet food, good wine/cocktails, and knowing social customs. It’s a smaller city/population, so it doesn’t have no where near the amount of blacks (or whites for that matter) with degrees, but you will not go there and be lacking in culture or cultured middle class black folks. I will admit that a lot of blacks have moved out of the city, and live in areas like Gentilly, Slidell, Metairie, or Mandeville, and New Orleans East.

I currently live in Atlanta, GA. and I am looking for another city in which to reside….I am single, have a Masters Degree. Yes, A-town does a great deal to hype itself up as a “black mecca where black folks can move here and just blow up” but that’s not true.

Pros-There is a diverse population, the cost of living is relatively low compared to northern states, it has a rail system, good night life, lots of restaurants, bars, shops, and malls. The city itself is Beautiful! The Midtown area is fun, and has a very high walk score.

Cons-Traffic!!! Over-rated and overpopulated. Many cultures and races, but they do not interact, it’s not a melting pot, or salad bowl, it’s like oil and water with each group preferring to stick to their own group. Do not believe the city is too busy to hate, as there is racism…overt and covert. It’s very, very PRETENTIOUS!!! Did I say very? IT’s all about going to Lenox/Phipps Mall, what you wear, where you live and what you drive. Going to the club and buying bottles, but you can’t pay your rent/lights/phone bill. It’s hard to make lasting friendships for any number of reasons, mainly just dealing with “superficious” people. Unemployment for blacks is 11.8% Yes BOO!! check your facts…It’s all about going to a Mega church and tithing 10%, being apart of a Sorority/Fraternity ect. ESPECIALLY with black folks. Living here is like anywhere else, if your a Dr., lawyer, teacher, professor, preacher of big church ect. you will do well. Women out number men.

Yes, traffic in Atlanta is awful, in a class of it’s own. Densely populated city. Expect long waits in lines at the stores, and crowded shopping areas. I moved to CO and what a breath of fresh air it is. I go to Best Buy and have all the time in the world with the sales representatives. Looks like they have more stores than people. It has been a pleasant experience that has improved my quality of life in that respect.

…and there’s not much interracial dating either. So where we are lacking in black men in Atlanta, good luck scoring a date with a white person. The two white males who showed an interest in me were wanting me to moonlight as their mistress…smh.

Great article. Very informative. I currently live on the west coast in beautiful palm springs. I work at a prominent drug rehab hospital and the cost of living isnt too bad BUT…there aren’t any blacks here! Lots of Hispanics though. I’m going to be finishing up my BA Psych from Cal State and I’m looking towards relocating for grad school. I have often thought about the east coast…primarily DC and ATL (have lots of fam in ATL who really like it). Not sure if I will like these places though. And I like west coast weather. Not sure if I can deal with the cold.

I’ve also lived in the Los Angeles area as well as the San Francisco Bay Area. I suppose the deal-breakers on my list are #1: Racism. I can’t stand it and in Cali that is minimal which is a plus. Lots of different races and cultures here. #2: Poor economy, #3 Bad schools, #4 High crime (that’s what drove me out of Oakland a few years back).

Thanks for the input on Houston, I will like to visit, I hear alot.about the city, also read some articles past to present, demographics ethnic diversity, economy, housing, culture,and other singles are very. Important for me now …..

You have done the thorough job on this list! Props. “Nah lick dis list Forbes.” See Forbes refuses to do such a list for Black Americans; we are only 13% of the US population. It’s not worth it for Forbes.

I rarely write remarks, however i did a few searching and wound up here “Best Places to live for African-Americans 2013 edition”.And I actually do have a few questions for you if you tend not to mind. Could it be simply me or does it look like a few of these comments come across like written by brain dead people?

😛 And, if you are posting at additional social sites, I’d like to follow anything fresh you have to post. Would you make a list of every one of all your social sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?

I wouldn’t recomend Salt Lake city,for black professionals or ether working class singles.Its beautiful, clean, nice climate, I was there a year or so in Ogden attending school, not a racist town, its just diversity not a strength because of geography, also majority more comfort to see there on in higher position. I would give Denver or Seattle a better shot due too its history, clean green, educated, more diverse job prospect and moderate, San Francisco like Atlanta is played out being from The. Bay area more people relocating out then moving in, the professional level is taking a bite, because of high cost of living and heavy competition for jobs, crime, homeless, drugs, weirdos, section 8 is true factors of my once beloved city. Minneapolis. Or. San Diego would be better then San Francisco.

This was the best info that I’ve found on the web & is VERY useful to me in my endeavors to relocate. I’m in Austin and this is ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE for minorities…not even a good place to find work (unless you’re in the IT field for the most part). I’ll be heading up I-35 to Dallas or somewhere near Houston by the end of the year.

Thanks for the information. I have lived in Indiana for 4 years. Great for my career, but not so much for my personal life. I am from the east coast, so I am happy to see several options for me to explore. I am interested in a more specific assessment. How do I go about submitting that request?

I am african american male and I love to travel out of the country. I would love to live in the fort lauderdale or miami because of the proximity to other countries. Are blacks doing good in the Fort Lauderdale or Miami area? Can anyone respond please. I am also thinking about Raliegh, NC. I am a software engineer.

I’m from and still reside in Miami. This city is for hispanics all the way. There are people coming from south and central america who flocks here daily. The city caters to the latin community. Miami is beautiful and have a lot of activities for all age groups, so you will never be bored. The cost of living is very high as well as the crime rate (given any major city). a 1/1 bdrm will run you $950-$1200 in a nice neighborhood. Property tax and auto insurance rates are extremely high. Their is a lot of FRAUD. The job market sucks if you don’t speak spanish and are of cuban decent. This is a place to visit and have fun,a lot of attractive people.

Ft.Lauderdalel,Fl. offers the same as Miami, a little less of the latin influence. Both cities has a great population of black carribean people as well coming from all the islands. There are not a lot of opportunities for blacks in all arenas. I can’t wait to relocate this year! Hope this is informative

@The Urbanelle You couldn’t have summarized it better, Your absolutely right. I lived in Miami all my life and few years ago recently relocated to Orlando, FL. Which cost of living is much less expensive but the job market is horrible! Looking to relocate myself sometime soon and is actuallly is looking for somewhere in Texas perhaps Houston.

there’s a GANG of comments on this jawn. I’m glad all you guys found this and decided to use it as a forum of sorts. There’s definitely a lack of this information available on the net. We definitely have our own set of problems we have to consider when relocating — so again. Thank yall. This is super dope — I hope yall are taking some time to browse the young site. We have some compelling ish on this jawn — though we haven’t updated in months. LIfe lol.

This is amazing I have been trying to do this myself and it validated some of my thoughts and dispelled others. Will you help me make another one perfected for me. I am a 22 year old black female who is looking for a career in broadcast journalism. I already have a job but it’s in the worse place ever ..seriously and I want to make a better decision for next time. I’d like to get married and I want the best bang for my buck… considering reporters do not make that much money in the first place. I like culture arts music books ect.. Thanks.

Why did Miami, FL place higher than Jacksonville, FL? I had heard that opportunities are limited to African Americans because of the large Latino population – primarily Cubans. My understanding from other sites that I read was that life for Blacks in Miami is a life of low income and poor housing. I was really interested in moving to Miami in July , but am having serious concerns. I read there are no middle class African American communities in Miami. Please provide additional information. I am a single Black woman who falls into the $75K plus income category.

Where did you get your info ref. Blacks in Miami is a life of —— etc. That’s incorrect. A life of low income and poor housing is any and everywhere for all including (blacks). There are various (middle class-black neighborhoods). Where are you from? I’m from Miami, and yes their is a great latin influence. Also, some opportunities are limited for black americans here but there are many who don’t allow that obstacle to stop them. My advice to you is don’t relocate here. You can read the previous comment for additional info.

I lived in LA most of my life, I was born in California. I’m single and if I did have a mate that had a career, together we would make well over $100,000.00 close to $200,000.00.

I make pretty good money working in Hospitals in California, but the cost of living as far as housing goes is extremely expensive. Houses that one would consider the ghetto are priced from the mid $200.000.00s up to the high $400.000.00s so a couple making $100.000.00 with children and other expenses is actually no money at all,it looks much better on paper. Now if you are renting, that’s a whole other problem. As with owning your own home its location, location, location, people here treat you different (They are either stupid or demons) but people in California treat people differently and sometime hire you because of where you live. Some ignorant supervisors and jobs judge and discriminate per demographics. Some jobs in California does not pay enough for where they want you to live and some prejudice white and Mexican and black people will not hire a black person if they think the black person will not live in the ghetto so everyone else can feel better or privileged so if you do find one of those states without a large Mexican population, I suggest you move there because these Mexican and Latinos all want to act as if they are Rich Southern Plantation owners and hold black people back as if they (The blacks) are in a caste or something.

Is there a rating of which cities offer the best day to day quality of life for African-Americans. I live Milwaukee. Not proud of it. In fact if it where not for responsibilities I would be gone. Which cities offer the best life without the usual rasist BS. In wisconsin it does not matter how much make where you live. You are still black. Your job is always black(fill in what ever). which means you are not a full or real (what ever). To that should define the best city for blacks to live.

This was very helpful. I really don’t think people realize what its like to live in one of these lower populated AA cities, and go so long without seeing another black face, and all the WP think you are trying to steal something or attack them even if you have a better car and more money! We should not have to continue to shoulder the burden of an entire communities lack of diversity training. Not to be mistaken, racism is alive and well every where, it is just nice to see and encourage fellow successful AA. Hopefully will once again have a community like the Black Wallstreet in OK.

What states would you guys recommend for young married professionals with two young children. Was considering ATL, HOUSTON, RALEIGH, or CHARLOTTE….. Family oriented neighborhood preferred (good school system a must) We currently live in Brooklyn ny looking for better place to raise our family

Thank you very much for posting this listing.However, I would rank San Antonio-New Braunfels significantly lower in the overall rankings. San Antonio has nearly a 65% Hispanic population! Many of them can pass for White and they use it to their advantage when they can do so. They also pull the “I’m a Hispanic” minority card when that works to their favor. Compound this with the Department of Labor’s “A minority is a minority” employment policy, and Blacks are significantly displaced in the job market here. Do not let the ($51,000) Black Family income levels here fool you. San Antonio has one of the largest retired disabled veteran (DV) populations in the country. I’m one myself, which means I make nearly $60,000 a year sitting at home playing XBox Live. However, I work because I have two kids I’m putting through college, so my total income, excluding my wife’s, is nearly $120,000. Do not let the term disabled veteran (DV) fool you.Quite a few of us are in better physical condition than retired pro athletes. The government formulates every ailment or condition and sums it up to give us a “total” disability rating. 50% or higher and you’ll get $1000 – $3000 per month plus get handicapped parking even if you run in a marathon every week. These combinations of military retirement and disability incomes mean that a DV typically will work for a lot lower wages than the industry standards. San Antonio’s salaries for degree holding employees are some of the lowest in the nation for a large metropolitan area. Example, a computer programmer in Dallas, TX will average $75,000, but in San Antonio will average $55,000. Factor in that housing cost in Dallas are very similar, and you are really getting screwed. Also, Texas has super high property taxes which are designed to discourage minority suburban home ownership in my opinion. $6000 per year on a $200,000 home plus another $2400 per year in home insurance and mortgage insurance. Basically, that’s $700 per month before you even make a mortgage payment! You can lower you property taxes by nearly 50% here by putting your kids in a school district with a bad reputation. Many here will live in a bad school district, but will drive their kids to a school in a good district to get the best of both worlds. School zoning is not enforced here. This state also has some of the highest automobile insurance cost in the nation. Nearly $300 per month for 3 drivers in a family with squeaky clean driving records. Trust me, I shop around, and this is the lowest rate I could find. The major insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide, GEICO, and Progressive could not even come close! Tons of illegal immigrants without car insurance are the main factor for the high insurance as well as Texas “no-fault” laws. My apologies for the long post, as I just don’t want anyone to make the same mistake I did. Thanks again for the listing. I can’t wait to leave this place!

I have lived in Atlanta for 36yrs in my opinion Atlanta has some of the most racist per capita then any city in America..everything has to do with the color of your skin in this hot humid southern city with its horrid traffic issues,and unbelievable crime ,and poor customer service and angry and very ignorant and uninformed blacks that simply think moving to a black city means success automatic(aka rap stars,reality stars etc)this of course is untrue,keep in mind in this very pretentious city where the low pay does not compare to the cost of living which makes living in Atlanta very expensive,you wear out a car here with huge repairs due to the horrible traffic and heat in bumper to bumper traffic and long commutes due to Atlanta,s huge unplanned sprawl,whites treat blacks like something they got on the bottom of their feet on their way to get the morning paper(yes dog doo)they smile in your face but cut you to the point you may need stiches..the blacks are cut throat,mean and spiteful and envious and WILL KILL YOU!!and most are on stage because in ATLANTA PRESENTATION IS EVERY THING WHILE HOPING REALITY DOES NOT EXIST..ATLANTA CONSISTENTLY RANKS HIGH IN HIV,AND OTHER STD AMONG BLACKS..DOWN ON YOUR LUCK OR STRUGGLING IN ATLANTA FORGET ABOUT IT!!THEIR ARENT ANY RESOURCES FOR YOU HERE(REPUBLICAN RAN STATE)CANT PAY YOUR MORTGAGE IN ATLANTA FORGET IT FORECLOSURES ARE RAMPANT AND IN GEORGIA YOU CAN BE FORECLOSED ON IN 45 DAYS WITHOUT THE MORTGAGE COMPANY TAKING YOU TO COURT(NOT A CONSUMER FRIENDLY STATE..WANT HIGH UTILTIES??ATLANTA,S HOT HUMID OPRESSIVE SUMMERS CAN START IN MARCH AND LAST TO OCTOBER WITH HEAT INDEXES UP TO 106 WITH THE HUMIDITY(500 DOLLAR ELECTRIC BILL ALONE IS POSSIBLE)WANNA WEAR OUT A CENTRAL AIR UNIT??(ATLANTA IS THE PLACE)DUE TO HEAT AND LONG SUMMERS COST 4,500 DOLLARS!!MEGA CHURCHES ,CRIME ,GHETTO NEGROES ,PRETENTIOUS BLACKS AND DID I SAY CRIME IS ATLANTA,S M.O.WARNING AVOID AT ALL COST ATLANTA LOST ITS LUSTER IN 2000…NO1 CITY FOR BLACKS?? SEATTLE AND CHARLOTTE..NASHVILLE….ATLANTA AMERICA,S NEW DETROIT IN THE MAKING!!!YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I currently live in Brooklyn, NYC. Born and raised here. Great city but I am tired of paying high rent and the hustle and bustle is wearing me down. I am planning on moving to Florida. Originally, Miami/Fort Lauderdale was the city I was thinking about until a friend of mine told me to check out Tampa, FL. I visited Tampa and was pleasantly surprised at how diverse it is. I lived in San Francisco for 4 years and Tampa is more diverse than San Francisco (which has a population of 6% blacks). Tampa has roughly 28% blacks. Great weather, sunshine all year round, affordable rent and short flights to Costa Rica or Dominican Republic which is where I plan living part time but that’s another thread…..lol

I strongly agree with the post on Atlanta…racism is deep and wide spread all you have to do is determine how you like your racism(over easy,blatant??or undercover)it can be served all kind of ways..traffic is absolutely awful!!!crime and home invasions rampant most have been murdered or seriously injured..meanwhile whites are breaking off from the city making their own WHITETOPIAS with strick covenants(to keep blacks out)have their own goverments away from Atlanta..education is horrible!!I,m out of here as soon as I can afford to do so…

I am looking to relocate my family (including a high school student & elementary student) from Oklahoma to the Denver Colorado area, Phoenix Arizona area, or Dallas, Texas area. Our first choice is the Denver area, however I haven’t been able to find much research. My goal is for my children to see people that look like them! Along with all the obvious – good schools, low crime, safe neighborhoods, etc.

Please provide any recommendations, previous living experience, and helpful advice!

the posts on Atlanta are head I cant figure out the hype tied to Atlanta..we moved their in 2007 from new York first the crime was 6 times worst then New york..i,m shocked at the acceptable racism their and blacks thier are so immune to it that they play possum to white folks there (roll over and play dead)to get the bling bling and front with rented cars and home they cant afford we are shocked!!! what happen to the so called new south??Atlanta is simply still the south in a fancy glittering dress dressed up to foolin you that its a pot of gold but underneath the dress is a tricked out huge southern city aka Jackson ,Mississippi..we moved to Seattle..AND WE ABSOLUTLY LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE CALLED THE EMERALD CITY…DONT WASTE TIME IN ATLANTA NOTHING BUT HYPE AND FICTION!!

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wow the posts on Fakelanta(Atlanta) is 1000% true…I have never been so disappointed in a huge city LIKE Atlanta..the blacks were disappointing mean and ignorant and somewhat uninformed..and on the other hand you have very racist whites that have a low,low opinion of black americans regardless of wealth,education,status in the community etc..the education system stinks and blacks bicker on the school boards further feeding white racist Atlantans views on blacks, AND DID I MENTION CRIME???????????ABSOLUTLY FREAKIN HORRIBLE!!!AND THE METRO ATLANTA AREA DOESNT HAVE A CLUE HOW TO DEAL WITH IT!!!TRAFFIC????oh wow don’t get me started!!!!!!I was 15 miles from my job and somedays it would take me 1 hour and 45 minutes both ways ADD THOSE RAIN STORMS THEY HAVE THIER ADD ANOTHER HOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..wether getting to or from the job after dealing with the traffic on those dangerous Atlanta freeways I WAS JUMPY AND FRAZZELED AS A WHORE AT A PRISON RODEO!!!!.I LEFT ATLANTA IN 2008 AND LIVE IN PORTLAND OREGON…SO BEAUTIFUL ,SO PEACEFUL,SO 21ST CENTURY AND PROGRESSIVE AND NON RACIAL..I MET AND MARRIED MY HUSBAND(YES HE IS VERY GOOD LOOKIN AND WHITE )AND I,M HAPPY AS HELL..I DO NOT RECOMMEND ATLANTA TO THE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!

its great that the above posts feel the way I do about Atlanta..its a place I cant understand the hype tied too blacks believe that living in Atlanta is the beginning and the end and if you don’t like Atlanta then something must be wrong with you…let me break it down Atlanta..has some of the highest foreclosure rates,some of the lowest credit scores in the nation,leads in bankruptcy,some of the lowest in pay for a major metro area thus making cost of living high,and nothing but low paying entry level jobs that don’t pay a living wage.Atlanta,S CRIME is something that needs to be taken very seriously but its leaders refuse to deal with thus it has gotten crazy,the mind numbing traffic will ruin any evening on the town or concert even ON THE WEEKEND THE TRAFFIC IS CRAZY!!!!the racism in metro Atlanta is absolutely horrible the uniformed blacks either play like it don’t exist or so busy killing each other and being envious and cut throat to one another that they wouldn’t know it if it hit them in the face,dont even think about dating in Atlanta the women outnumber the men 10 to 1..and the men think they are whats happening because they are in demand..superficial folks are the norm in this big spread out sweatbox drowning in urban sprawl..long term friendships don’t exist(your viewed as competition and a threat)..I now live in Nashville make twice the money I did in Atlanta and got a better quality of life which don’t exist in Atlanta,married(couldn’t get a decent date in Atlanta)and now very happy with peace of mind..i wont even visit Atlanta…please avoid Atlanta at all cost..

Your interests may differ from mine, so the important thing to do is identify what type of people you’re trying to connect with and subsequently do it. 14) Show-Off Your Products: Showcase your product with a video. Mc – Caskill tweeted about her diet and exercise daily, eventually leading to a fifty pound weight loss while Stelter tweeted every bite that he was eating, losing ninety pounds to hit his goal. The use of an auto responder system is the most efficient and commonly accepted way to manage and maintain contact with these people. Others will be covered in due course but the principles are the same. All of the things I despise about the outside world aren’t in my Twitter stream.

I live in Nashville. I’m born and raised from there as well. I quess it’s basically racism anywhere you go. It’s just some areas aren’t as direct as others. I’ve found that between my associates both married, single with college degrees and without we all have found some form of struggle. I have friends whom live in the south, west, north, and east coast. For singles, living here is ok if you are open to doing things outside of hanging around blacks. The social scene is the limited blacks here don’t want to do anything different culturally so it’s still segregated even on where you live . People are nice. I consider it one of the safest cities to live, but being single and a black female the city isn’t progressing like it should. However it’s what you make of it.Bottoms line blacks are underpaid and earn less than our white counterparts no matter if you hold a degree or not. You just have to figure out what works best for you. Are u willing to trade the lack of a black population for a better job, better housing, better entertainment or go places where blacks are in higher population but the social economic status is still off? Nashville is very family oriented regardless if you are a single parent, married, or in a exclusive relationship.The areas I like ironically doesn’t have a lot of blacks and they are Scottsdale ,AZ and Seattle,WA.Up north, Chicago and New York

I belive all those cities are good,it depends on your lifestyles,status.if your single,then a big city would be more comfortable,if you have a family then you probably wouldnt care about acity vibe only good schools and safe vibrant area..I dont understand people get all bent out of shape,because a majority of folks like a certain city,some places dont have the interest what people want or needs,or options.the majority would go where the opportunities.No one cant argue that texas has the besteconomy right now,even tho its a repubican state,My home Cali is the most diverse and democratic state,but f ou r real its worse on economy gangs murder,homelessnes,the point is it depent on your lifestyle,sometimes gender,or age group what work for you probably wont work for others….

Very good post. I can’t use it as I base my choice on how culturally Black a place is matters most to me. I know I’m supposed to want diversity and some sort of melting pot, but that’s unimportant to me. I enjoy being black and “oil and water” interaction between the races as someone described is preferable to me. Now that will be hard(impossible) to find. Blacks in places like California, Utah, Colorado and Seattle are not to “Black” to me, they are “black”. Still I loved the post and my girl I will enjoy it and find it useful, just the aggregation of the stats alone are impressive to me. Why does the same person keep posting about Atlanta? Change up your posting style if you are trying to appear to be different folks. I like Atlanta, I don’t think it is more racist than anywhere else. If whites there like being around each other there, nothing is wrong with that self love is fine. All cities need not aspire to be NYC or LA.

I happen to agree on the posts on Atlanta I graduated from duke university and moved to Atlanta the racism is indeed very up front and in your face Atlanta,s time has came and went it has ran its coarse..nothing their but crime,traffic,superficial folks…it didn’t take me long to come to grips that I made a horrible descion I wasn’t their 6 months got a great job in Seattle and love my city called the emerald city haven’t looked back don’t miss the heat,traffic and the rudness and the crime and the backwardness

Agree with the last post,what make New york, la,and now houston so popular because these were the first cities in their region . The ciy of chicago I would add too for up north. Middle america has the best cost of living,as well economy no doubt.The education level more higher in the east and westcoast no doubt which if you havechildren it would be more livable,now days if you trying too buy a home single adult middle america would be alot better.culturally diverse,and economic diverse would be cities by the water anyway.

Wow you guys all made good pointers FYI keep out of Texas i lived in DFW area Arlington for 13 months low paying jobs there is little to no social life for young black people like the above post said out side of south Dallas you don’t see black people. Memphis TN THAT’S A NO GO FROM HIGH CRIME TO VERY HIGH HIV RATES THE most ice ever made there was 9 he sad but true…. MilwaukeeWI looks promising to be continued..

Wow you guys all made good pointers FYI keep out of Texas i lived in DFW area Arlington for 13 months low paying jobs there is little to no social life for young black people like the above post said out side of south Dallas you don’t see black people. Memphis TN THAT’S A NO GO FROM HIGH CRIME TO VERY HIGH HIV RATES THE most ive ever made there was 9 hr sad but true…. MilwaukeeWI looks promising to be continued..

I am so glad I have found this site. I live in Kansas City, MO and I have been considering relocating. KC isn’t horrible, but as a single, 31 year old woman with no children I’m looking for more. I have been researching different places to live and I was considering Tampa, Seattle, or Denver. Doing some research, it seems the cost of living in Seattle is fairly expensive. As with most cities, living in the heart of the city seems to be more expensive, so I am open to any information on living in the suburbs of these cities. It seems that Tampa has a reasonably comparative cost of living to what I am accustomed to. Anyone have any insights to living in Denver, Seattle, or Tampa? I’ve also found good information and comparisons on cost of living, crime, population, traffic, etc. on the site Numbeo.com. This site may be helpful for some of you.

tamara….. the cost of living inside the the city of Seatlle is expensive but the further south you go from downtown Seattle cost gets cheaper..also keep in mind Seattle offers great pay NO STATE TAX AND A GREAT!GREAT quality of life and crime is almost nonexistent in such a large beautiful city…I,m plan on moving their as I retire..i currently reside in Atlanta and it has ran its coarse and has become unlivable ,with the absolutely awful crime and traffic..seem like cities with high black population the crime is high and the neighborhoods go down ruining property values

Thanks so much for providing information on living in or near Seattle. I have never been there, but have heard good things about it. It seems like a place that would suit my lifestyle so I am interested in finding out more.

Seattle has many attributes (good schools, nice neighborhoods, affordable and high quality health care, beautiful scenery, good jobs etc…), but I *would not* recommend it for single African-American women who want to marry. It’s a nice place to live for a short period of time (maybe 2-4 years). Anything beyond that is tough if you don’t have a family or lots of friends. Single African American men here have lots of dating choices. Black women have fewer options. Seattle is a great place to move to if you are married with kids. It’s the kind of place where you need a good support system to thrive. I have lived here for most of my life. Have not left due to family obligations, but I am hoping to relocate elsewhere in another year or two.

I read this blog post and it was very nicely written. I also read all the comments, and they have offered great insight that is not available on other sites. I’ve read a couple of comments mentioning Seattle as a good place to move to. Ironically, I’ve been interested in Seattle, but was discouraged by hearing that there aren’t many black people there. I also read some article saying that black women should bring their own men if they’re moving to Seattle. Is this true? For those of you who live or have lived there, is this an exaggeration? I do plan to visit for myself, but would love to know what it has been like to live in Seattle as people of color and in general. Thanks. By the way I am originally from Brooklyn, NY, lived in Florida for a short while and then moved back. Now in Queens, NY. I love NY, but I’m tired of the extreme cold. I don’t mind a little cold, like 40 degrees. But 17 degrees is just too much. Also, the cost of living is way too high here. Dating wise, it’s the luck of the draw here. It’s very competitive, but some women are in relationships. But I think the black women having difficulty finding men thing is more of a national thing anyway.

Wow. I remember the days of feeling like the above commentors. I have lived in Atlanta (13 yrs), Baltimore (4 yrs), the Caribbean (4 yrs), Central Florida (8 yrs) and spent 2 yrs in NJ (job)/NY (play). The dating scene is horrible, in general. Racism is everyone and becoming far more open than in recent years past. Get over it. Your social life is what you make of it. Get out and participate in the types of activities you enjoy. Get on MeetUP and see if someone has an organization or activity in which you are interested (if not, why don’t you create one?). Look for your spouse and friends/social network doing the things you like, not hanging out at bars and constantly on the hunt. Live somewhere where the cost of living and cost of your lifestyle don’t exceed your income. Live where you have a dependable and positive social network. Be hopeful that a good and fulfilling life is out there for you. Life is generally only as miserable as you believe it to be. My life isn’t perfect. I am in the middle of a divorce but I haven’t lost my faith in good men and good relationships. I live in a small town with less than 5% blacks and I MISS the city life. I do not, however, feel that being single again is the end of the world. I am very much looking forward to the things I love: water sports, fine dining, intelligent conversation, etc.

That is awesome!! You have lived several different places and been able to experience a variety of environments and cultures. I frequently visit different places in the Caribbean and have always enjoyed the people and their laid back lifestyle. I have also wondered what it would be like to live there. If you don’t mind sharing, what part of the Caribbean did you live in and how did you like it?

Good morning.I am also recently divorced. Moved to this area many years ago, and then went back to KY(my home). When my mother passed as well as my mother and law, I relocated back to a Northwest Suburb of Chicago due to my job transfer and my spouse(who is originally from Chicago).I just received my Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Leadership. I’ve been here for 8 years, however;again it was due to my former spouse. He is now relocating to Texas with woman #3, after the abandonment of my daughters and I, and now I am in a temporary homeless situation). I would like to relocate as well(It makes matters worse because he lives 7 minutes away from us) I have a Junior in High School. Had thought about Texas, but I changed my mind. Looking to move to AZ or possibly the VA/MD area. My daughter is an Honors Student and tested high above State Averages. Any suggestions regarding a good move for us as well as a Fresh Start? Of course, I would like to date again, but my daughters education is first and foremost. Please advise of a good place. We may end up in a town outside of the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Illinois area called Carpentersville or Gilbert. We just need a fresh start. I am also unemployed.

I can’t say that I agree with the list as some of the places (Charlotte, NC) have an extremely HIGH amount of UNEMPLOYMENT for blacks. Greenville, South Carolina has great job opportunities, date life, and cultural experiences. I’ve traveled to most of these cities because of my job and if you’re a professional, married or single, kids or not, check out Greenville, SC and Durham, NC. Peace.

in my opinion that travels a great deal 4 cities come to mind that offer fantastic Quality of life and living…no1 hands down (Seattle)low crime, place is so beautiful(makes a grown man/woman cry) and clean and well ran very cosmopolitan and the downtown is very vibrant with the Puget sound giving it unbeatable atmosphere and plenty well paid jobs Seattle is one the most racial friendly cities in the country..no2(Portland)Seattles hated rival low crime,beautiful,again very race friendly..no3 (GREENVILLE,SC)yes I said it!! absolutely freakin beautiful,named forbes magazines 6th best downtown(in the category with the Seattles ,the san Francisco,s etc.clean,well ran ,great customer service,non arrogant black americans (aka Atlanta)Greenville is a mid sized city with big time events and very cosmopolitan with a downtown off the hook low crime beautiful affordable homes ,good jobs(B.M.W. headquatered their as well as Michelin)clean and well ran no.4 Nashville unlimted job oppertunties (nephew found a job at nissian America in 2 days their)low cost of living ,No state tax, booming area right now affordable homes..also RaliGH /DURHAM is very nice and has plenty of good jobs…places to stay away from??(Atlanta)overated ,oversaturated,congested,and you can cut the racism in the air their with a butter knife,high crime,15.8%unemployment for blacks..no2(Detroit)absolutely freakin horrible,no jobs,dangerous,its the ugliest most depressing city in world everything boarded up Detroit is a sneak peak at what Atlanta will look like in the future..(New Orleans)hot,humid snakes,gators crime that rivals the 2 above a repeat of Atlanta,Detroit,on a smaller scale….Donavan in indianapolis

I believe my biggest concern would be which has the best school systems as my final deciding factor. I thought about moving to Columbus ohio, Raleigh NC, NYC along with being open to some cities that I have not consideref yet but I have an element school age son to think about. Any suggestion??

we left Atlanta last year after I got a job in Raliegh DURHAM,NC..i must admit I have never been happier the pay is almost 2 and a half the pay in Atlanta with a company car!!!!!!our quality of life and peace of mind and our marriage has strengthen(horrible,dangerous commutes in Atlanta can take its toll on your life)Atlanta has a lot of rude,(7th rudest city in America)pretentious,self importantant,small minded folks that think Atlanta is the center of the universe(most haven’t been out of state or anywhere else to compare it with)so they don’t know any better in that so called black mecca(where most are living in poverty)or in false pretense.education is horrible if you have kids,and crime in Atlanta is off the chain with no solutions and getting worse,low pay is the norm their and the white employers act like their doing you a favor by paying you a non liviable wage after you have spent a months worth of gas in bumper to bumper traffic,and the racism oh man don’t get me started they don’t hide it their at all whites let you know!!!!! blacks are treated like crap thier and don’t know any better!!thank goodness we were able to get out and never look back!!!I would suggest Atlanta to anyone..

I am recently divorced. I just received my Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Leadership. I am originally from Ky, and relocated to the Northwest Suburb of Chicago. I’ve been here for 8 years, however; it was due to my former spouse. He is now relocating to Texas, but I would like to relocate as well. I have a Junior in High School. Had thought about Texas, but I changed my mind. Looking to move to AZ or possibly the VA/MD area. My daughter is an Honors Student and tested high above State Averages. Any suggestions regarding a good move for us as well as a Fresh Start? Of course, I would like to date again, but my daughters education is first and foremost. Please advise of a good place.

wow!! very informative site..wished I had it before I moved to metro Atlanta I,m forunate that a friend called and told me about it its amazing the false perceptions about Atlanta.. its not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow the media made it out to be far from it indeed and the pay as mentioned in the previous posts is indeed true also in todays ATLANTA JOURNAL AND CONSTITION NEWSPAPER it says GeorgIA,S INCOMES and pay HAVE DECLINED TO 1979 LEVELS!!1979???I,m looking to move as soon as I can possibly do so ..I will use this very informative guide to help me do so.i really like Greenville,sc……….

Good morning. This will be a re-post because I would love to have some feedback.I am also recently divorced. Moved to this area many years ago, and then went back to KY(my home). When my mother passed as well as my mother and law, I relocated back to a Northwest Suburb of Chicago due to my job transfer and my spouse(who is originally from Chicago).I just received my Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Leadership. I’ve been here for 8 years, however;again it was due to my former spouse. He is now relocating to Texas with woman #3, after the abandonment of my daughters and I, and now I am in a temporary homeless situation). I would like to relocate as well(It makes matters worse because he lives 7 minutes away from us) I have a Junior in High School. Had thought about Texas, but I changed my mind. Looking to move to AZ or possibly the VA/MD area. My daughter is an Honors Student and tested high above State Averages. Any suggestions regarding a good move for us as well as a Fresh Start? Of course, I would like to date again, but my daughters education is first and foremost. Please advise of a good place. We may end up in a town outside of the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Illinois area called Carpentersville or Gilbert. We just need a fresh start. I am not employed at this time, so relocation may work out for my daughter and I. Some type of relocation assistance from a job would be a plus.

Have you looked into jobs that are available in the states you mentioned with the degree you have? I moved to the Dallas TX area from Jersey last summer. The cost of living is great compared to up north and the school system in the HEB district is known and very good. Jobs are available in the Dallas area but the pay may be lower based on people’s comments on this thread. I worked from home for the same company I worked for in Jersey and my pay was very good compared to the cost of living. It appears you have a variety of places you are considering and may need to narrow them down depending on what you want.

This was very informative post. As a native of the DC area I will list the Pros and the Cons of the place they have labeled the DMV. First the DMV is comprised of DC, Maryland and Virginia. Just for those who don’t understand the acronym. The Pros: Always something to do. From art galleries, museums, sporting events (Go Skins) fine dining, diverse enviornments and so forth. The mountains and the beaches are 2 hours away from the area. Close proximity to Baltimore, Philly, NYC and Richmond. No one should ever complain about living here. There are tons of opportunites for jobs as the Government is the main spark for other industries. Negatives: people aren’t the friendliest, cost of living to me is ridiculous know matter what the high median income levels that are reported, it is high for a reason. To get your child in a good neighborhood with top level school is going to cost you high 300K to 500K. Traffic is terrible and there is a way too many people in this region. Those are the cons. I will say as a single person DC is a great place to begin or further your career, the downside is I think this area is too fast pace to raise kids in. Hope this helps everyone.

Good schools are usually in good areas. If a place has great jobs, clean living, and low crime then that’s an indicator that the schools benefit from such.

Despite being a single mom, never put off private schools. Some of them work with your budget.

Also, when you RESEARCH a suggested area, research the School District for that city and call Realty/rental agencies and inquire as well. Never move to a city without visiting first. While visiting make inquiries and visit some schools and talk to the Administration. Even in less desirable School Districts, because some are so huge, great schools can be found in the mix because of the communities it caters to. All test scores for schools are online. Use MANY sources before moving to an area for information, not just one.

When moving to any suggested area, especially if it’s a college town, many Graduates and Professionals tend to live in ‘certain areas’ of that town. The nearby schools are usually desired. Some school district’s webpage have zone locators so you can see what school your child would be attending when living in a particular area/subdivision, etc. From there log onto greatschools.net and it shows you everything about all schools in America. There are more sites like that tell the test scores, demographics, and student/teacher ratio. That can help with your decision as well. Talking to people from that area and visiting will get you much farther than anything. Use your social networks as well. Good luck everyone!

I agree strongly…Greenville,SC is a gem,beautiful affordable homes, great downtown,Greenville has all or most of the events its 2 bigger cities have(Atlanta to the South and Charlotte to the north)without the hassles ,stress ,traffic,or Atlanta,s horrific crime/and deadly home invasions that Atlanta seem to have a lot of..Greenville is beautiful well ran ,clean, crime is almost non existent whereas in Atlanta being a victim of random crime the possibilities are great..Charlotte is also a better bet but is a huge city but if I knew what I know now Atlanta would be my last choice to live

Title: DO NOT MOVE EVER, EVER TO ATLANTA, GA!!!!!I totally agree with all comments on Atlanta, and can say I’m an expert on Atlanta because I was born and raised here, and I can tell you everything changed between Freaknik and when the Olympics came and after Hurricane Katrina hit as thousands of Katrina victims relocated here, and not to mention thousands of people moved to Atlanta around that whole “School Daze” era and many stayed here after the Olympics left!I left Atlanta and relocated to the midwest, went to college and didn’t come back to 2003, when I say I wish like hell I never came back, its been a nightmare, even with my B.S. degree and graduating at the top of my class, it means nothing! I have had to take these low paying positions and when I tell you the racism is so freaking thick here because you have the white people who smile in your face at work, but hate your guts and wish they could put you back on a plantation, then you have the ignorant, ghetto blacks;especially the jealous azz women who stare you down, think you want their sorry man just because you may be walking down the same aisle as them, and don’t have a nice car or take care of yourself well, these hefers will hate on you so bad its unbelievable!OMG I can’t stand them so much!!!Please don’t let me start on that traffic on 285, 20, 85, 400!!! Agghhhhhhhhh! Did someone scream? I live literally 20 minutes from my current job, so tell me why it takes me an hour and a half to two hours to get my butt home everyday!Don’t think that’s an issue, well remember that nice new car you got, well after driving in traffic five days a week or more, you will feel your car going down, you’re gonna need a Christmas fund to pay for all your new tires, brakes, and a good wash because when that nice green Spring pollen falls you have to wash your car every freaking day!

wow ..you are right on!!crime and traffic and racism in Atlanta will be its downfall..quality of life doesn’t exist their you spend most of the time in your car due to traffic and the rest locked up and on edge in your house due to Atlanta,s awful notorious bold home invasions and deadly crime!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lawd don’t get me started on the sorry a##** Men, please don’t get me started, you raising my blood pressure! But since you asked and want the real deal how bout this: if the men aren’t gay or on the down low, and there are so many gay men it’s pathetic; the others they are straight players; I’m saying these men down here have like ten different women on all sides of town and you would never know it, they have a girl in Buckhead, Decatur,Downtown, Midtown, Marietta, Jonesboro, you name it, and the married men;well how about I was with my friends a few weeks ago at this little lounge in Midtown and this fine brother walks in with his wedding ring on, and the band singer asks if he was single, and he said no I’m married; really?? So why the heck are you in here when we are all Single and trying to meet and where is Your Wife at tonight if you’re in here? This is what I’m talking about with Atlanta, I can tell you this Atlanta used to be a cool place to live and it used to be easy to date and have something with someone, well that was back in the 90’s, and like I said everything has changed.These men down here are so lazy, they don’t want to open a door for you, don’t buy you roses, nothing and want you to do everything for them, and if you don’t,then it’s on the next one literally with them. Oh, let me tell you about the crime; plain HIGH!! Car jackings, people breaking in your apartments and homes,robberies all the time you name it,thugs walking around with pants hanging off their butts, and women wearing pajamas to the store with Koolaid red hair, and some with no hair trying to be a Man, and freaking size 22 women wearing booty shorts!! Crime is everywhere and doesn’t matter where you live , its Everywhere and all the Mayor of the city cares about is a freaking new Dome for a sorry Falcons team that can’t even win the playoffs to go to a Superbowl, and that new Dome is going to cost all us taxpayers in the billions when it’s all said and done, and all he also only cares about is a freaking new Ferris Wheel to put downtown to add to that stupid freaking Beltline and a freaking trolley that going to go around in a circle downtown for all the little white folks coming to Atlanta!!

Lastly, yes your Electric bills will be high as Mt. Everest in the spring,summer,fall, and even winter unless you can sleep in 90-100 degree temps and the humidity will damn near kill you if you aint careful, I got turn my ac down low every night just so I don’t sweat half the death at night and this starts around April- October sometimes November, and if you have allergies, the freaking pollen season will kill you and you gonna be using your AC like a mad woman and washing your car like crazy. Ok, now you made my fingers hurt, but to sum it up if you are still thinking about moving to the ATL, go ahead and forget that insane idea of yours,and by the way I plan to relocate in 2014 looking to head to Seattle, or Portland, and I don’t care if I ever, ever see another black person again in my life if I can help it.. Good luck with your search, but don’t come here, and especially if you have a man or are married, there are literally hundreds of beautiful black women here and many don’t care and many do “man share”, also Atlanta is known for high bankruptcy and foreclosure rates, and many jobs don’t pay crap,many of my friends and family left Atlanta because they couldn’t find a job and were unemployment like a year or two and these folks have degrees and experience. Also don’t get fooled either by all the people driving BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, etc;it’s all a game my brothers and sisters, and let me finish it off with this; I met a guy a few years back who drove a nice black G35, that brother told me he was about to move back in with his MAMA because he can’t afford his car payments on his Infiniti; still want to move to Atlanta?? If so, go on down to Emory so they can examine your head because baby you got a serious problem….

I triple the agreement on Atlanta!!!what the heck happen to a once nice city???answer?? too many career criminals and hood rats from the slums of the north and too top it off crime infested New orlean Katrina refugees..Crime here is absolutely awful day in and day out and the mayor here does nothing,brutal murders,smash and grabs,robberies while pumping gas here is the norm its crazy..everyone is so unhappy, angry ,bitter and stuck in jobs that pay pennies on a dollar per hour while trying to live the high life meanwhile bankruptcys soar.traffic in Atlanta will make you either slit your wrist or run you blood pressure up to the point your a stroke victim!!racist whites that hate your guts while you have to hold it in on your job and at businesses to keep from catching a case of a felony.. the hood mentality is the norm here and all the women think they are NENE LEAKES!!its just not worth it anymore and I ask myself is this what I graduated from the university of Notre dame for??all my dollars and spare change is being saved for a move as far from Atlanta as possible… last but not least do not buy into the Atlanta hype and fiction

wow you hit it on the nail about Atlanta!!!what a huge disappointing mess of a city..traffic, horrible racism and crime ,BITTER ANGRY RUDE BLACKS and home invasions here are deadly!!YESTERDAY THEY BROKE INTO HANK AARONS HOME HERE IN A GATED COMMUNITY AND CLEANED HIM OUT ACCORDING TO THE NEWS HERE AND YOU KNOW HE HAD TOP KNOTCH SECURTY SYSTEM!!crime is bold here!!AND IF YOUR NOT CAREFUL WILL GET YOU KILLED…

To those who’ve said Dallas has no black people..that’s NOT true. Black people are everywhere in Dallas from the North, South, West and East of Dallas. Even in affluent neighborhoods with well to do whites like Plano, Carrollton and Frisco (suburbs of Dallas), they have black neighborhoods and more black people are moving there like crazy because of the jobs. However, it is true that Dallas doesn’t have much of a social/nightlife for blacks. Yeah we have black comedy clubs, black jazz clubs/bars and other venues and events for black people, but not as pronounced as Atlanta, Houston or Chicago but we’re getting there.

I can bet the people that are saying their are no black people are folks settling right into the white, upscale, ritzy areas like Uptown, Turtle Creek and Oaklawn. These are the areas close to downtown Dallas for white young professionals although their has been a huge increase of professional black men and black women moving to those areas because of the cool, luxury, lofts, condos and apartments, vibrant city life, clubs and singles in that area. Most of the apartments and lofts here cost $1000-$2000 or more. Although it’s a cool area to live, most blacks would rather purchase a house in the suburbs for that much. I notice black people will move to the white suburbs or white areas because it’s safe or they think it’s a cool area, and wonder where all the black folks are. If you do not have a college degree and/or professional job, you cannot afford the apartments in the areas I’m talking about and that’s most black folks in Dallas as most blacks born here are unambitious and do not pursue school or education at all.

To black women: Their are alot of educated, professional and/or hardworking men moving here from out of state because of the amount of jobs here. Most are coming from Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, far East Texas and West Texas and other southern states. Pursue these men because they are hard workers. Their are plenty of them. The native men born in Dallas don’t have jobs or aspire to do anything but live off of their girlfriends or baby mama.The native women here are the same way, if their not living off of someone, they don’t aspire to be much but work their $11 to $15 an hour customer service job and give their money to their baby daddies. Again, education/school is not pursued amongst black people born here.

Being that Dallas is a family oriented city, the men here love relationships. They love relationships so much that they’re all taken, LOL Whenever you meet a guy, he will always tell you he’s in a relationship but looking at options. If you are single, you will definitely have a hard time finding friends since this is a family oriented city, most people just like to stay in the house or hang with their spouse. Black people hear are a bit standoffish in the fact that they only talk or hang with folks that are within their close social circle meaning people they’ve known from childhood, went to high school with, or people that were raised on their block or neighborhood. This makes it hard to meet friends. People from other states and cities are not like this, thank god.

No one mentioned Chicago. I take it that the high crime and cold weather is enough for it not to be considered?? How about the employment rate? I haven’t been there in years, but when I lived there, I enjoyed the social scene and friends I had. It was very easy meeting people. I had no problems attracting the people I wanted to meet, unlike Dallas where everybody stays to themselves. Don’t get me wrong, Dallas is a chilled, laid-back city, but it’s also the snobbish city of the south, making it boring if your not ready to settle down in marriage life with a family.

I have stayed in Houston and I liked it alot. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, and at the same time if you want a more settled life, you can have that as well. My only complaint was the traffic. I’m in Dallas right now but I am heavily considering moving back to Houston, Chicago or Virginia.

You might want to reconsider Chicago. As a matter of fact, I beg you not to move here. I am a born and raised South Sider, who currently lives in the suburbs. Even living in the suburbs, you can’t escape lol. It is one of the most segregated cities in the country, even Dr. King had words about Chicago. The unemployment rate is very high, housing is horrific with high foreclosure rates. For example, a shack would be $200,000. I have been layed off 3 times and I have 2 Masters degrees. I stayed in school just so I could have money to survive, loan money of course that I have to pay back. Everyone here is a hustler, just trying to survive, including myself. Taxes are out of this world. Most people that I know are seeking to relocate or have already relocated. It is not a good place to raise a family due to the high crime, hence the name Chiraq!There are really no safe places to live in the city, however, some of the suburbs are super hood as well, especially the south suburbs. Politicians are corrupt and the school system is a mess. The pros is that you will never be bored, there’s tons to see and do. Downtown Chicago can’t be beat, so beautiful but expensive. It is a very cultural city with museums, theaters, restaurants, you name it, we got it! But all of that comes at a very high price. If you’re single and love to get out and want to live downtown and pay $2000+ per month for rent, this is your home!

Moved from KY to Chicago. I will say that our living experience in the NW suburbs have been good. Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates are expensive, but that is Cook County. So, now I am looking to relocate to Kane County in the area of Algonquin/Huntley/Carpentersville(Newer area/South Elgin. More than likely it will be in a town called Pingree Grove or Gilberts. Also look into Hampshire. And ride the Metra to work, which could be downtown or nearby Hoffman or Schaumburg. Yes, a good place for culture. Just stay away from different areas.

I am considering moving my family to Durham and would like to know what are the best neighborhoods, are social service jobs plentiful ? what are some of the best assets of Durham. We are looking to relocate early September.

I am considering moving my family to Durham and would like to know what are the best neighborhoods, are social service jobs plentiful ? what are some of the best assets of Durham. We are looking to relocate early September.

NO1SISTAH,I AM LOOKING TO RELOCATE FOR HEALTH REASONS. NEED DRY HEAT, BUT ALSO NEED TO BE EMPLOYED. 50 YEAR OLD BLACK WOMEN, ASSOC. DEGREE AND OVER 20 YEARS OFFICE EXPERIENCE. WHERE DO YOU IDENTIFY BEST PLACES. TO LIVE FOR MY SITUATION?

Good comments, My wife and I are always looking for the best place for our son. I am from Phoenix originally, it is not bad except hot. Most of the racism is directed toward Mexicans, so they leave us alone. I also lived in Atl,terrible, so much racism and classism within blacks. Atl is ridiculous, maybe fun as a youngster if you were in a frat. Ive also lived Portland and Seattle. Portland is okay, people arent exactly racist they just dont know anything, but as a black profesional you can easily get ahead quickly, they actually love diversity just dont know how to handle it, great food too. Seattle is the same but with more diversity and more expensive. I live in Richmond now and jury is out, seems mostly poor but interesting. All in all Id say Seattle is best, if you can handle the weather

after years of living in Atlanta we moved to Columbus,ohio..Atlanta,s wages were so low and compared to its cost of living it made it impossible well to live. we now make great money we just now have to catch up from making high school wages in Atlanta we regret living their for years its put us behind financialy..and the racism oh man!!whites hate blacks so much their that if your lucky to have a job whites go out the way to make you as miserable as possible with their subtle racism.the crime was crazy..be aware that Atlanta has more poverty in its outer ring then any other metro area 788,000(source :wallstreet24/7.com)has more vacant houses due to its poverty wages and strict forclosure laws..4th.(source wallstreet 24/7) and in the top 20 most miserable cities in the country(forbes magazine)possibly due to its lack of quality of life..the blacks are phoney and faux Christian,and seem out of touch with the realities around them because they are so caught up in the world of material things..avoid Atlanta as if it were a sexual transmitted disease……..Alvin

i’m from st. Louis, mo and have lived here all my life. I’ve traveled to many different cities in several states from the east coast to the west coast and have found that they all have racism, poverty, economic hardships, crime, etc. “home is where the heart is” at times I absolutely hate it here! Then, I absolutely love it here. Yes st. Louis has ‘in your face’ racism, high unemployment, ridiculously high crime and too many single folk singly raising children but, st. Louis has (in my opinion) a great nightlife, friendly people (white and black), great restaurants, jazz clubs, culturally diverse settings to experience whatever it is you want to experience-food, music, museums, shopping, etc. I don’t know if I would recommend living here but, I will say this: wherever you go, for whatever reason-better job, more blacks, less blacks-st. Louis living is what you make it. I live in the burbs; i’m content. Love to visit other cities but, home is home.

I live in Seattle after living in horrible ,racist Atlanta for 16 yrs..I didn’t realize how tense,stressed out, and how distrustful of people I was until I left Atlanta….Atlanta does that to you after a while with its back biting,self centered,folks that are overly materialistic in my opinion..i was guarded,due to crime,and the horrid racial attitudes,and the traffic in that poorly planned metro area made me cuss like a drunken sailor(some days 2 hours to get 15 miles) and stuck in a low paying job even though I have 2 degrees.never having to take pills for anything in my life I developed high blood pressure after serious headaches went into the doctor 175/110 reading I almost broke down..i start making changes and saved every penny I could muster ..a friend in Seattle had begged me to visit ..I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful city(Seattle) and its racial tolerance and open mindness..my friend in Seattle suggested I apply at her company I did got the job and it was 33,000 more then my salary in Atlanta ..I packed bags and shipped what I could..and have been happy every since that was 6 yrs ago..no more blood pressure or pills(Seattle no1 fittest city in the country and walking city)I don’t worry about crime my quality life is absolutely wonderful!!!!!

Thank you all so much! I really needed this information. I hope my contribution helps. PLEASE DON’T MOVE TO AUSTIN,TEXAS!!! It is racist as hell. Austin promotes itself as a fun loving, liberal and prosperous city. Austin and all of Texas is red necked, extremely prejudiced and cruel towards black people. In fact, the state of Texas is controlled by rich, white racist conservatives, who don’t care about anyone but themselves. Austin calls itself “the live music capital of the world”. Not OUR kind of music! And a city of opportunity and prosperity in these hard economic times? That’s a blatant LIE. The media falsely paints a rosy, beautiful picture of Austin and the state of Texas, but that’s all a cleverly crafted lie, front and ruse. I know far too many black professionals who are underemployed or unemployed altogether. Recently, a black engineer stood before my church congregation and tearfully testified that he was working at McDonalds (the fast food restaurant). I know several people who reported harassment from their jobs to corporate entities, state and federal regulatory agencies and law enforcement and absolutely nothing was done to help them. Sadly, most black people in Austin are afraid to report or bring attention to the criminal behavior that is levied against us by whites, Asians, Hispanics, and others (including other black people). I have lived in the south all of my life and I have never experienced or witnessed the violence, hatred, cruelty and pure evil that I have seen and witnessed in Austin, Texas. I am thoroughly convinced that Satan runs the entire lone star state. If you don’t want to risk losing your FREEDOM, your HEALTH, your MIND, your SOUL or your LIFE, DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS! It is a mad, bad and dangerous place for black folks.

I never understood a city like Atlanta. Practically what everyone said about Atlanta is very true, sad but very true. What I will say dont be alarmed or offended but these secrets about this city is about to come out. First I was born and raised here. Do I like it? Hell no! I lived in Decatur, also Lithonia, Smyrna, Austell, Stockbridge, Albany, & Fairburn. I ALWAYS wanted to move the hell out of Atlanta since I was in the 10th grade, wanted to go to Cali. Now 23, unemployed for a year and 7 months, is sooo damn hard living in Atlanta especially starting out at life . Atlanta has no jobs period UNLESS you want a Financial job. Local jobs are hard to get and min wage wont get you no where. Jobs are lazy here it is ridiculous! My uncle stays in MD but work in VA, whole family lives here but will not move here bc Atl dont pay much. –prime example and he is a Cardiovascular Tech. Dont move here for jobs if you want a decent good paying job. Education is scarse here – cant say much about the schools even public schools. Teachers dont teach and they dont care if you fail. Atlanta is crashing down little by little. Enough about jobs. Dating scene, social scene, living here and working here is a pure headache. Even Clubbing – shit gets tired. Traffic can be brutal, FYI I KNOW how to drive, Atlanta drivers cant drive for shit!! 20 East in the morning, Lawdd!! 20 West is terrible too. 285 overall, around Perimeter Mall irks my last damn nerves. 75/85 N & S -main damn freeway where ppl cant drive. Occupy yourself before getting on Atlanta roads. Dating scene mmm I will sum this up for you but dont be surprised. Men here overall have soo many options and women make it easy on men with little efforts. Some wanna be down n ghetto but broke as a joke here, women dont give a damn here. Only when they are competing against each other. Men here are aggressive breeds looking for their lost puppies. Personally I dont like Atlanta men egos. It is not big at all to me. Married here, I pray for your safety. Single here, mmph this is a playground for you with little exits, slides and excitement. If I was a man, Atlanta is a PERFECT place to cheat. Gay ppl are every damn where in Atlanta, Downtown to Lenox are off the chain. Believe the numbers, numbers dont lie. A black mecca? No I dont think so. Its only a large AA state bc of the HBCU’s but thats about it. City is so spread out, the same thing is happening everywhere and it is boring. Also you will be expecting racism overall everywhere just open your eyes. It is there. Does not matter if you are older or young to flock here or move. If you want to tolerate all of that, go head but I wont. That is why I decided to move on out to Houston.

Also Im 23, never had a bf but I know how to treat, support, spoil, and cook my behind off for one. Even I know how to change oil or even a damn tire. Men & Women here dont know how to play their parts but always want the opposite. Fake uneducated reality and want to be hood or thugged out is so common here it is so sad. But stay away Atlanta is not a best place to live in. Only for the weakhearted. Some good ppl like myself who havent been around the block are here, you just have to look. It only can take 1 right man to just wife me up bc I dont call for much and im not hard to please like others.

I live in D.C. and have a class mate in Atlanta..we both graduated from UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND with a gpa 3.0 we both have the same majors he was overly fascinated with Atlanta me not so much still the south just decorated with tall buildings and a false sense of a cosmopolitan city with its brutal racism and ignorance I was not impressed..most blacks come across very phoney,materialistic and somewhat ignorant and out of touch and ghetto..my buddy in Atlanta makes way less money then I do and we both have the same job..he has a home that he cant afford as well as a car strickly to impress that he cant actually afford,no furniture,he says he feels stuck,and they call Atlanta the black mecca????black mecca my A$$.most blacks are struggling their to make ends meet with the mcdonalds pay scale their!!poverty among blacks their is quite obvious and so many blacks are long term unemployed their with degrees,and whats up with that traffic their its absolutely awful!!!!!

No! There are no jobs in Columbus Oh. I have a friend there and visit often. I am in Indianapolis, been here for two years. You will not find a job If you are black. The men here only date white women and the jobs only hire you if you are white. I lived in Kentucky for three years before here and its the same. Black men only dated white women and the jobs don’t want you. If you get a job here in INDY it will be a job that know one else wants. Trust Me. I am from Detroit, lived in MD, Chicago, ATL, Indianapolis and KY. I am moving again to AZ or NC within two weeks.

I am thinking of moving to Columbus, Ohio. I was born and raised in Chicago(south Side) but currently residing in Orlando. I am a 45 divorced woman and the dating scene her in Orlando is only for teenagers and early 20’s. I have lived in several cities and most of the previous post are correct. I love Chicago and I was never bored but I just wanted something new and crimes seem crazy now when visiting family. I have never lived in the New England area and would also consider that area. I love black men but I am open for love so it really does not matter the color. Black men seem very hard to find.Not so concerned about employment as much, planning to do a job transfer.

We are looking to move to Orlando from Ocala. Can you tell me some of the pros and cons in your opinion of Orlando. My husband and I have our own business. We moved from Ohio and really like Florida, but would like to be in a more diverse, progressive area with more to do! Just trying to get more input from someone that already lives there. Thanks so much

You’re better off moving to Tampa. Orlando is the place for kids, Hispanics (& other foreign folk, but the city goes pretty hard for the Hispanics), students (mostly on the undergrad or technical level), tourists, & retirees who want to live outside the metro area. There are waaayyyy too many geographical areas connected to or right outside of the metro area & it can get confusing. The nightlife for young & older Black ppl is OK depending on where you go…most of the action is downtown. But it seems to me that most Black ppl are concentrated in Pine Hills (Haitians, crime, but good food & cheap grocery shopping) or trying to coexist w/ all the Hispanics in Metrowest/Kirkman area. & Metrowest is definitely a “you’re just paying for location” area with a lot of condos that are overpriced. I’m glad to be gone. This even has me reconsidering Miami but I’m definitely staying in FL. I’ll see what happens in a couple years or so, after I get a Master’s. I’d damn near stay on Tally if I knew of any middle-class Black neighborhoods…don’t think there are any. Also keeping Tampa & MAYBE somewhere in Broward in mind.

I live in Denver.. after years of living in metro Atlanta…AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE POSTS ABOUT Atlanta is so,so,so,so,true!!!I was waving my hands and testifying as I was reading all of them!!!whomever went around saying Atlanta was the place to be has to be out of their freakin mind..per capita Atlanta has the rudest,most ignorant,ghetto,blacks in the nation IN THE CITY OF THE SO CALLED CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT!! I was so disappointed after moving their upon graduating from college…THE RACISM is deep as the ocean,segregated as the 1950,s blacks,whites ,Hispanics,asians don’t mingle their at all ..and the whites would love to put you back on the plantation..if they could they dispise black americans..thank god I had the sense to get out of their!!!

don’t forget the crime..its out of control in Atlanta..our backdoor was knocked down by thugs as we were having dinner one evening their..and we lived in the suburbs..we had to get guns before we left and moved to Indianapolis

I am originally from the the New England area and have resided in the following states:

Houston, TX: Large black population, decent higher institutions, job market/pay rate pretty decent. You can find a nice apartment in a good area for under 800$$$(If you’re from the E.Coast like myself, this is something you will appreciate) Party/Social scene is pretty live, regardless of what age group you are in. The coast of living is great! Very diverse. In my time living here, I never had an issue with racism, even when it came to the older white folks,lol.

Norfolk, VA: A mess, too many people from different areas(especially up-north) are flooding these areas. Which turned me off. The Party scene is dead. Finding a job in this area is OKAY. I just hated the southern region of VA.

Dallas-Fort-Worth TX: I actually fell in love with this area of TX. Very clean, diverse, a lot of big corporations in this area, so you will be able to find a decent job until you can find something better. The cost of living is inexpensive for me, since I relocated from the North East. Dating life is great, it’s a lot to do. Great shopping area, great education system. You can find a really nice apartment for under 800$. Crime rate is pretty low. I can go on and on. It’s also easy to start a business in the state of Texas. As for racism, I did not experience any during my time here. This area is also very diverse and I loved that.

I am currently saving to relocate to Philly. At the end of the day I am a true east coast girl but if I have to relocate to the south, it would certainly be Dallas/ Houston Texas.

DFW dating is good as long as you stick with the transplants from out of town or state. They come here highly educated, with professional jobs and they tend to make good money here. They are ready to buy a house and settle down. On the other hand, men that originally come from Dallas do not pursue education, have a small town way of thinking, and being that the jobs here are now demanding a degree of some kind, this puts them out of the job market, unless they are willing to travel for work, drive trucks or do low paying jobs like security or retail. If you are young, alot of guys in their 20’s and 30’s are trying to pursue rap careers instead of going to school. Therefore you will find alot of black men here looking for a woman to take care of them or help them out in some financial way.Thank God their are alot of transplants here….they all seem to migrate to Arlington, Grand Prairie, and very far North Dallas.

Being that their is no great social scene for young blacks here unless your in school or the club your best bet is online dating or to have female friends that can introduce you to somebody they know. After al,l people still meet others through friends or family.

my job has transferred me to L.A.(LOVED IT)just expensive..San Francisco,( loved it also)Chicago,San Antonio,Atlanta..of all the places in my 56 yrs one that stands out that I totally was disappointed in was Atlanta..i was expecting upwardly mobile intelligent ,black americans..I was terribly wrong,all you have their is ignorant ,materialistic,folks working 2 and a half jobs to keep up appereances and false pretense..blacks in Atlanta are so blinded with material possessions that they cant weed and pay attention to the serious,serious discrimination and racism in that metro area!!low paying jobs is the norm their if you lucky to have one,crime is serious their guys!!and the hood/ghetto mentality is rampant(most think they are in a episode of love and hip Atlanta or Atlanta housewives)whites treat blacks like shit their and blacks suck it up but will kill or seriously injure another black person..in all my years of never having a racial experience I had several in metro Atlanta..thats a place I do not advise moving too

Sorry but we do not use Wikipedia as a source of statistics. Those stats which you are referring to are secondary sources. We gathered our statistics from the U.S Census Bureau directly. The year estimates used for wiki, and other sources will vary depending on the date and version used from the U.S Census Bureau.

breakdown on Atlanta according to the highly popular accurate website 247 wallstreet.com…..no1.metro area with more poverty in the suburbs then any other city in the nation(most blacks live in suburbs their Lithonia,south dekalb,clayton county)..in the top10 according to247 wallstreet.com..for economic mobility(meaning its hard to get ahead their)the state of Georgia also seem to hate you if your struggling thier are no resources for folks down on their luck(hard core republican state and brutal,brutal racism…crime their is awful..Atlanta has more dangerous neighborhoods now no2 next to Chicago(mainly because most of the hoodrats and career criminals are from Detroit and Chicago now living in Atlanta…avoid Atlanta like a pitbull!!!!!

Okay, my two cents worth: I lived in Boston/Cambridge for ten years and it a racist and segregated city. If you want to get an education there you will most likely want to get out once you graduate. Not to mention winter is avery cold and long there. I then lived in San Jose which was okay but few Blacks. Weather is great, though and you’re in the Silicon Valley where things are happening career wise and close proximity to world class city San Francisco. Now I live in Sacramento and it’s decent, way more affordable real estate and cost of living than San Francisco and the good jobs are all taken. Still the vibe is overall okay. My kid goes to UC Berkeley and it’s not bad, and parts of Oakland are nice but it has the third highest crime rate in the country. Overall I find Sacramento works fine because it’s a decent climate, close to great places and doesn’t cost as much to live here as it does in San Francisco. Another thing about Sacramento is there is little threat of earth quakes unlike The Bay Area (aka San Francisco, etc).

I just left the bay area(San Francisco)what a wonderful area!! the weather?? OMG!!DELIGHTFUL!San Francisco is no doubt world class..San jose..is where you go if you wanna make some money and be close to cosmopolitan SAN FRANCISCO!!!PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND CREED!!fantastic transit system called BART..man they don’t play they get you where your going!!very efficient and professional..loved it!!!I could live in the bay area…meanwhile I flew back to hot,sticky,humid,crime soaked Atlanta with its rude and impolite folks I felt like flying back to the bay area leaving everything I own!!!!

All those cities are great, it depends on your lifestyle. I notced the majority of men prefer the east and women prefer the west. The question no one talking about middle america, like omaha, denver, indy, columbus, minneapplis, chitown mention, but there’s more, instead of the same cities… The most relevant question I would ask myself is poverty rate, the south and the west has more higher rate of poverty then the east and midwest.crime is every where, but thats all so depends on common since, usely with black crime its dboys vs. dboys or turf gangs politics. Not random killing like others..Also I want too point out it doesn’t matter if I guy earning 10 hr or 20,, as long the perso working, some people have too pay for colleg e as well there place of residence, with any family.To me its better then having kids by lowlifes just to get child support, and welfare housing….. Check outblack demographic.com its current and helpful peace..

Atlanta sounds just like memphis but on a smaller scale CRIME is through the roof here!!! I went to school at Texas Southern came back home and no amount of suburban living can immune you from the crime in Memphis! Home invasions you say? That’s seems the favorite pastime amongst criminals here! Racism is on it’s A game nothing has changed since MLK at Lorraine and the wages are so low even for an educated person the city is a ticking time bomb… Memphis should be LAST in every category for progressive blacks. I have lived in nashville and houston both much better places!

correction;Atlanta is just a huge Memphis…crime here will have you looking over your back,around your house,you become guarded and distrustful of everyone..its also the scam capital of the country..why folks flock here for the low paying MICKEY D,S,Wages I have no idea..most cant afford to live here..in todays Atlanta newspaper it says Georgia leads the nation in owning and operating a vehicle at $4,233(tags,taxes,fees ,gas,CAR repair due to the horrible traffic here cars don’t last) california was second and their wages are higher folks don’t do their research upon moving here thus they struggle economocially and become one of the many living in poverty here….3 years to retire and I,m up and out of here…

Never liked Atlanta area even during its so called heyday…too damn racist,spread out,hot as a oven on broil,ghetto,poorly planned and not ready for prime time,the pay is peanuts .the whites are sneaky low down and 2 faced the blacks are ghetto,ignorant,2 faced,envious as hell,and fake as a the blond weaves the women wear their traffic thier will make you cut somebody or worse,compounded with folks from the northern states..Detroit,St.LOUIS,NEW YORK,CHICAGO…the worst of the elements and career criminals from those cities moving their as they have ran out of turf in the slums of those cities have bought their asses their and the crime is through the roof ..poverty amoung blacks is outrageous as few move their based on hearsay and no skills most jobs are in the service sector which pay 9 dollars an hour more or less while rent and owning a car is through the roof ..THE PAY IN Atlanta does not compare to the cost of living their..avoid Atlanta likethe huge bugs and mosquitos that are their…Seriously!

Nashville has to be the place with the most job oppertunities for blacks..unemployment rate low..compared to Atlanta,s very high unemployment and low,low wages..but most blacks are so blinded by the hype of Atlanta that they keep moving their only to struggle Nashville unemployment among the lowest in nation..and no state taxes and cost of living very low…Seattle also another place as well as Greenville,sc..Raliegh durham….too many are drinking the Atlanta kool aid and finding out its not what it seems…just my opinion…drake in Nashville,tn

You need to put into account weather and grading of school systems, not just going to college. Income is useless if not adjusted for cost of living. For example, the DMV makes you more income, but real estate is high as well.

im 40yrs old f/b and moved to Peoria Az from Chicago Ill in 2009. There is a difference living in Phoenix/Peoria Arizona. Women of all races out number the black male 10 to 1. You will see a lot of interracial couples here. Most black couples there have migrated/moved there from someplace else. There is hardly no black culture unless you congregate with the many black motorcycle clubs there. The black community is small enough where everyone seen each other at least once. Which means everyone is in each other business or gossip like a small town do. young blacks tend to go to the many clubs in Scottsdale while the middle age blacks singles chill at the few nice lounges or few ghetto bars. And yes the women will flirt with your husband too. There is only a few/couple of black soul food restaurants but mostly Hispanic or American food. Most grocery stores wont have your traditional black food either like short ribs of beef, sweet meat. Also the cost of meat and some foods is higher while milk is cheaper. Your black child will have a better education than from a school system like Chicago’s. Your child most likely will speak proper English b/c of their environment but not have any black cultural. But I love the fact that people don’t tend to focus on clothes or jewelry instead on their children education, sports and their homes. Rent is much cheaper, you get more for your money than Chicago. and more for you money of square foot on a house. The roads are smooth which is harsh on your car and my car insurance only went up 5 dollars b/c I added the window protection plan for sand and rock debris hitting your windshield. Arizona environment is cleaner and have a beautiful western scenery and awesome sunrise and sunset. For a young person, entry level, plenty of jobs. Phoenix is a right to work state. This state expects that since cost of living is lower then people should accept low wages. There is opportunity here but it can be hard at first. A lot jobs here have polygraph test and other extensive tests. Unless you have a bachelor degree you will make close to low income wages. There is hardly no black culture at all. Remember this is a transitional , conservative, republican white family value state that just pass the Martin Luther King Jr holiday not to long ago in 1992 by vote. but didn’t fully acknowledge it until later. Although the crime rate is said to be high in Az, the violent crime rate in the small black community don’t come close to Chicago’s. I love that fact I don’t have to hold my purse tight. I love the peace and quiet and friendly people at the stores but I live in Peoria AZ where I hardly see any blacks. Be aware there is racial profiling, Its legal! During the 3 to 4 months of hot summer heat, it will drive anyone crazy! lol. Don’t worry everything is air conditioned. and the rest of the year is wonderful while its cold & winter everywhere else. You must have a car b/c unlike Chicago’s transportation system, Phoenix/Peoria az. sucks! great hiking in the winter on several mountains and only 3 to 4 hours to vacation in L.A. California, Las Vegas, Tijuana Mexico, and Flagstaff for skiing. I’m older and more settle and can appreciate the atmosphere but I miss the black cultural back home in Chitown not the violence though.

oops corrections,, car insurance is not much higher and the roads is better for your car. and you can basically drive 3 to 4 hours to anyone of the surrounding states or Mexico from Phoenix/Peoria Arizona.

I liked the honesty on here..I’m from St. Louis and want to relocate in 2014. I want to visit Seattle, as that is a favorite listed here and look around. I have visitied Tampa and really liked it..I did not care for the smaller cities across the bridges like St Petersburg and other smaller cities. I LOVED Houston and think that the city is a good idea for a young 20- something but I am divorced and in my mid 30’s now and want the slower pace that some greener cities offer. I didn’t know that people still considered ATL a good place to live and almost fell off my chair reading the comments posted about it..what..you didn’t know? LOL I don’t think I need to even explain to anyone what St Louis is like..but for the non-informed..the crime rate is like ATL’s…in some areas possibly worse..it is VERY segregated but you CAN find your small intergrated, ‘friendly’ enough oasis if you look..and racism..uhm..it’s a way of life. Also, if you are craving modern, ‘foward-thinking people’..you may have to search a bit harder(dig possibly)..and dating..I don’t want to depress black women, however if you are a black woman into interracial dating it is possible here and you won’t find as many adversaries as you think. But..I definately would not tell anyone to move here..it would be like telling someone to move to Springfield, Illinois..ever heard of it? Right.

I lived in Atlanta for 5 yrs I bought into the false hype about the area ..yes I said false..young and dumb and didn’t do research on that seriously racist,metro area in the south..it was a mistake I paid dearly as I was stuck in a job their that paid a very non living wage but my commute wore down my nice car and 115 dollars a week worth of gas sitting in 8 lanes in Atlanta,s notorious bad ass traffic,insurance sky high,rent in a decent area 1200 dollars,(you must live behind gates and in a nice area Atlanta,s crime is no joke!!seriously student loans behind and a racist boss,and racist in the work place making subtle statements like affirmative action is the only way I was able to work in the same office with them and my racist boss saying with a smile how lucky I am to be employed their(masters degree here from university of Indiana here)making 31,000 a joke right??? ..THE ATLANTA RACISM IS ON ITS A GAME THIER!!!sister got fed up had a yard sale sold my(S$%HT)made some cash,flew to Seattle(love it!!)got a job at major fortune 500 company after 5 weeks of trying and calling got a 77k plus job a year felt like I had won the lottery..had another yard sale in Atlanta drove to Seattle in my Honda with 276,000 miles on it with nothing but clothes..living in suburban bellevue in Seattle ..life now is good ..no heat no humidity,i don’t look over my shoulder like in Atlanta due to crime..warning:dont be fooled by the glitter of Atlanta and the hype.. its not what it seems…now 35 I ve gotta play catch up financialy..but in Seattle I feel its possible versus Atlanta…black people listen Racism will kill your soul as well as your health and Atlanta is serving huge doses of rascism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KARIN CLARK ST JAMES….SEATTLE WASGHINGTON

WOW!!heard great things about Seattle..they say its absolutely stunningly beautiful and open minded,got a friend in Atlanta and she is always talking about everything you mentioned..she says the racism is like an episode of Mississippi burning..she says Mississippi doesn’t have anything on Atlanta…she also say the whites are breaking away from the city and making their own cities(whiteopia,s)and she says the crime is like a third world city…yikkkkes!!!

I honestly do not remember what I googled that landed me on this MOST HELPFUL site. Whatever it was I am soooo thankful I was moved to make the search (as I wasn’t even on the Internet prior to).

Anyhu, THANK YOU to the site creator and WHOA to the helpful info you provided which led to others offering even more helpful info in the forum!!!! Thank you especially to those who truthfully commented on Atlanta and those who provided information on Houston (which has been on my mind for a loooong, long, long, long … time….)

Briefly, some basic info about me. From Boston. Hate this place! Stayed in Chocolate City or DC for 13 months once upon a time. Really liked it. Loved it compared to Beantown. Moved to theATL after leaving DC. Loved it–namely the green grass, green trees, and all the Black faces!! Didn’t know it was the capital of Black homosexuality before I moved there. Otherwise, I would have remained in DC, as I would very much like to marry a brother who loves SISTERS–Black females born in America–ONLY … one day … please Dear God! At the time of my move I had not started hearing that “the brothers in Houston got it going on”. Seriously sisters, THAT’S what I’ve been hearing for years and without asking!!

Anyhu, the recession drove me back to Beantown–aka mean, color struck, insidiously racist MEAN TOWN–in April of 2012. (Seriously, I read something that in 2011 Boston was voted the meanest city in the US!! My goodness! Add to that the fact that 9 out of 10 brothers I see on any given day are with every ethnicity of female except BLACK!!! Damn! Now, it could be I’m not in the right neighborhood–i.e., the hood–or something and that I don’t get out to places other than work and the gym enough–i.e., the hood, so I tell myself!… I just think this is a HORRIBLE city for Blacks born in America who aren’t students and who aren’t trying to be with other than themselves or who aren’t trying to be other than themselves!!!!)… to be continued b/c the full length response is too long to post.

Anyhu, and sorry brevity is actually NOT one of my strengths, but I am trying to be brief, HOUSTON has been on my mind for some time!! I’m zooming in on Sugarland. Prior to discovering this site I did a little research about the city. So I was pleased to see it on one of the lists above!… (God-willing I will be out of Boston by January 16, 2014, and heading towards Houston! FINALLY!! This site would have helped a lot!!)

SO, to those specifically who commented on Houston I have been hearing FOR YEARS, as stated earlier, that “the brothers in Houston got it going on.” I sure hope you confirm that and more!

Now, I’ve hoped and assumed since hearing the above stated that the meaning of those words entails brothers there loving Black women (and not breaking their necks and Black women’s hearts jumping over us, stepping over us, or knocking us down to get to all other ethnicities! I’m just telling it, as my granddaddy would say, “like it ti-is. I recently posted a question on city-data about rating Black male/Black female relationships in Houston. I haven’t returned yet to read any replies….)

As for this site, again I’m truly grateful for the stats provided. Info on employment and housing is all fine and dandy. But what I want/need to know is do most brothers in Houston prefer sisters ONLY!!? Bottom line, because I want/need to live where this is a reality, mostly the reality, assuming such a reality still exists in 2013!! Can the site creator provide me any stats on that topic?

Can anyone from Houston, who has lived in Houston, who is currently living in Houston offer me some hopefully positive feedback on that question. Here, I’ll rewrite it: Do Black males born in America in Houston mostly prefer Black women born in America only. I’ll rephrase it: Where Blacks born in America are concerned, how is the state of Black male/Black female relationships in Houston?

Well, thank you all for your time and consideration and any positive feedback. Feel free to post your replies here and/or on the website mentioned above or, preferably, at [email protected]. And PLEASE, should you use the latter means for a reply, I’m very busy and I would appreciate NOT being contacted through my email with disagreements, criticisms, arguments … contrary opinions and the like concerning my preference for wanting to be around brothers born in America who prefer sisters born in America ONLY! It is what it is and IT will NEVER change. Seriously.

P.S. And another thing! I’m NOT looking to relocate to an area with a lot of “diversity”. I’m sick of the word and its often times phony, deceitful use by the powers that be! As is the case in Boston. I, unapologetically, want to mostly live around my own people–Blacks born and raised in America!-crazy though too many of us may be, dealing mostly with our own problems as a people (intra-racially) versus having to deal with our madness AND an inordinate amount of the inter-racial prejudices, discrimination, hatred, and racism from whites and the inter-racial madness from other ethnicities and nationalities (who are afflicted by the ideology and philosophy of white supremacy and, thus, truly believe themselves to be better than Blacks born and raised in America which is clearly reflected in their speech and behavior towards us. I don’t want to live where the powers sucessfully pit foreign Blacks–including Spanish-speaking Blacks–against Blacks born in America in various ways, as is the case in Boston!! I don’t want to live where foreign BLACKS or Blacks of a different nationality and culture who mistaken me for being other than a Black born in America start talking down about “the Black Americans” as is the case in Boston!! So I hope more than one person confirms for me that Houston is NOT such a place. Otherwise, I’ll just go stay with the gay brothers in Atlanta.)

Yes, in Houston blacks date majority blacks and Houston has alot of black social life, black hang out spots, functions, tons of HBCU’s, Dallas people even move here for the music scene, and you should have no problem making friends as the people here are pretty friendly. You will find alot of people that have moved to Houston from New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles and other major cities, so its a huge black population however it is becoming a bit crowded so hopefully you won’t mind being stuck in traffic and overly condensed streets and neighborhoods, but not every neighborhood. Houston has tons of people from New Orleans that have flooded the city since Katrina, and these people are very friendly, but very very homely people. Alot of people also come to Houston because of the Beach, called Galveston Beach. Even if they don’t live in Houston, black people will take a trip to the Beach.

The only thing you will probably hate is the humid hot weather. It gets hot as balls out there. And when it rains, its like a hurricane. And on major streets, its so much traffic during rush hour that you will be sitting in traffic for like 10 minutes, and then you have crime, but that’s every major large city in the U.S, but as long as you watch who you hang around and watch your surroundings/neighborhoods you will be fine.

You will find alot of professional black men out here and they mainly date black women. It’s even sad one would have to ask that question. Even the white men with alot of money here love black women. When I first came out there, I had two different white lawyers ask me out and practically beg me to come work at their law firm. He told me Houston is the place to be for professional black women and that I would have no problem finding a job. As many people moving here, I only hope the people from ATL don’t sour this place, especially with the DL stuff. My male friend just moved to Texas from Atlanta because he said men kept hitting on him when he was living in ATL and he didn’t like that one bit.

You know I actually couldn’t find my question on the city-data website. Oh well! I eagerly came back to THIS wonderful site for Black folks today to see if anyone took time to respectfully respond to my question versus acting all shocked and offended by my question. THANK YOU for taking that time and being that respectful person!!

If you could only see the grin on my face after having read your reply.

Anyhu, Lord knows I wish I could pack my bags NOW and bounce up out of bean/meantown! But I have some business I need to finish here …

NOW that another person, and a sister too, has confirmed for me what I’ve been hearing allll along I can briefly (or not) tell my tale about HOW I came about hearing what I’ve been hearing about brothers in Houston!

Uum, actually, it probably won’t be brief and not because I’m not striving for brevity. So just consider this Part I of my lovely tale. (lol)

Once upon a time … I was at a convention in Chi-town … heard some very positive talk from sisters about “the brothers in Houston …” At the time I was living in theAtl….

Then I was at a conference in DC … and I was talking to a sister from Detroit on the METRO platform … about this and that … and brothers in theATL … and a brother overheard me telling her what I’d heard about Houston brothers and how I wanted to move there. He verified what I was saying, making it clear to us that he was not gay but only that he, too, had heard wonderful things about brothers in Houston….

THEN while having a convo with a white female on the phone in a different department where I worked, I mentioned I was moving … she asked where … and why … I told her. She, too, confirmed that she had heard the men in general in TX have it going on.

My, my, my!!!

THEN … oh yes, my story is not over yet … I called the Univ of Houston one day, got the wrong department, knew I was talking to a sister, so I asked her if she was originally from Houston. I was going to lead up to asking her about the brothers in Houston but I didn’t have to!! Lord chil’ … (LOL!) … wouldn’t you know that woman, after telling me she was from Cali and how long she’d been living in Houston, started praising the brothers in Houston!!!

Now, I just know someone reading this is saying SHUT UP! … or NOSA! (no sir) … or WORD! (vintage slang) … or TRU’DAT! or the like! (LOL!) But no lie! (Word is Bond! LOL!!!) … 2bcon’td …

THEN … almost finished, almost finished … my chiropractor in theATL, who is from Houston, confirmed ALL of the above, explaining that the only reason she came to theATL was for business reasons …

FINALLY, I was at a red light behind a sistah with a Houston tag one day. I pulled up beside her … got her attention and asked her if it was true … well, you know … that brothers in Houston got it going on. Now I know ya’ll think I’m lying. But if I’m lying I’m flying. (LOL) She said it was true. I asked her why, then, was she in Atlanta. Because of school, said she. (LOL!) But that she intended to go back home as soon as she graduated.

AAAAHHHH!!!!! … no, not aahh, but AAAAHHHH!!! (LOL!) … you know, the sound that a chorus of angels supposedly makes … that’s what I’m doing right now. LOL!!

As for your comments about the humidity … and, well, everything else … I really don’t care! All that matters to me is what you stated in your opening sentence AND the following statement as well: “You will find alot of professional black men out here and they mainly date black women.”

Brothers in Houston actually prefer sisters than one another (like in Atlanta) or every other ethnicity of female (like in Boston)!???????? Ooooo Lord! I feel a dance or something coming over me!! LOL-LOL!!! ….

Yeah, I’m clowning around and laughing but this is very serious. And, yes, it is sad I had to ask the question, but the question, I assure you, was very necessary to ask (based on what I’ve been exposed to and what I’m currently being exposed to).

Thank you for you comments regarding Boston. I was considering relocating there but I do not want to live in a place known as ” Mean City”. I am still very confused where to relocate to. I posted before that I reside in Orlando but from Chicago. I have come to know that I am not a southern girl. I like large city life. I have lived and worked in many places such as Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Seattle. I really lived Nashville and Seattle. I am so confused but what I do know is I do not want to live down south.

I just finished reading this post and I am surprised by some of what I read but at the same time very thankful for you what you discovered. I want to relocated to New Orleans after vacationing there this July. Your list has helped a great deal. I will be keeping this article to do more detailed research. Thank you again for a this great article.

New ORLEANS IS A DUMP/and it smells..the crime is outrageous and the blacks are third world…its hot humid and a matter of time before its wiped off the map by a mAJOR HURRICANE..These folks from new Orleans moved to Atlanta and ruined it with their ghetto asses and criminal intent…don’t move their you will regret it

SERIOUS!!SPREAD IT AROUND PLEASE!!!I live in Greenville,Sc and LOVE IT!after living in Atlanta..whatever you do folks avoid it please!!!crime??we own the first 30 mins of the news with our black on black crime and stupidity their and shooting and slaughtering each other ..I,m sure the very,very ,very,did I say very??hard core hateful white racist in Atlanta are loving it like a fat kid loves chocolate cake!!they just sit back with their hateful asses and allow black in Atlanta metro kill each other and rob each other without lifting a finger and baby we give it to them..WE OUGHT TO BE ASHAME..WHERES BLACK PRIDE AND DIGNITY????IF SOMBODY FIND IT RETURN IT PLEASE!!I,m unpacking bags in my new Greenville home and never wanna visit Atlanta again in my life..New Orleans,Detroit,Chicago,St.louis ,New York thugs have taken over their…take this 38 yr olds advice stay out of Atlanta life is to precious!!!!!!!!

the comments on Atlanta are on it!!!seriously the comments couldn’t be any more true…after years of living their struggling,and being paid 20 cents on a dollar..even though I have a degree in business from Ohio State..the wages were insulting as well as the in your face racism fed on a daily basis their..the crime was rampant and out of control like a third world country,the traffic makes things come out of a dignified educated Christian ladys mouth that shoudnt,the blacks were small minded,limited.materalistic and full of constant envy.and ignorance meanwhile racist white American getting away with everything they could at the expense of blacks and they didn’t have a clue and if you pointed it out to them(blacks) then you are considered negative..but love to tell you about the latest bag they bought or car,or furniture that they could ill afford on the peanut wages they were making..New Orleans,Detroit,Chicago,St.louis ,east st.louis,New York,contribute to Atlanta,s notorious crime and mayhem..after years of Atlanta,i,m now unpacking my bags today in my new house in Beautiful Greenville,SC IN SUBURBAN Simpsonville my neighbors(whites welcomed me to the neighborhood I was in shock but found the strength to say thank after dealing with the shock!! I never knew my neihgbors in Atlanta in 13 yrs..Atlanta being a black mecca is the biggest crock in the nation the media built it up to be something that it is far from being ..a good place to live and raise a child and make a liviable wage the racism their is a major challenge and getting worse as whites feel more and more intimidated by the black crime and the huge amount of blacks that now live their…STAY AWAY FROM ATLANTA FOLKS IF YOU LOVE LIFE AND PEACE OF MIND AND GOOD HEALTH…

Has anyone relocated to Philadelphia and can provide pro/con feedback? I’m 48, single, have kids in their 20’s and work remote in the IT industry. I’ve lived in NY, NC, VA, DC, MD and CT. I’m looking for a culturally rich area where I can meet like minded people. I haven’t read anything about Philly on this thread. Thanks in advance for the feedback. [email protected]

This is a great post. I am a black male who has lived across the U.S, Asia, and Africa. I would like to point out that now is the time for Black-American Professionals to get contracts for major businesses in Africa.

Since 2009, a lot of black people have been moving to Africa. Where did all the black people go? If not in prision, a homeless shelter by the recession, they hauled ass to China (yes), or West Africa. So, those of you with an mba and drive to go into business for yourself – check it!

Yall been going HAM in here. We didn’t even know. Feel free to browse around the site if you dig it. We have a slew of isn worth checking out. In the mean time, keep doing your thing. There’s a WEALTH of info just on this one thread. More so than I’ve been able to find anywhere on the internet regarding the subject. Kudos!

Don not come to Sacramento California! Especially Roseville/Rocklin area. Extremely racist. Will not hire Blacks even though Sacramento has a Black mayor!!!! No jobs! No industry; federal govt & military gone (largely due to high level REP complaints) which were all true & legitimate… hmmmm?!?!? Racist Mormons, poor Mexicans, racist Asians, the few elitist rich whites, racist Italians, outcast Blacks and exclude Blacks from homeownership, education, and employment then expect you to convert to Mormon, Catholic, or Jehovah’s Witness to achieve anything. NO business foundation or economic development for th greater metro Sacramento area yet lots of community-based development such as tons of new home developments with no jobs to follow. Supposedly retires from LA & SF to retire and grow economy here…Yeah and what other economic developments!?!?! To ground it?!?!? Nothing…..Plants and factories move to Asia, Corporate Sac won’t hire Blacks.Predominately racist city and area against Blacks. Blacks here are military & federal govt retirees from yesteryear or college students who have yet to find out the truth, or ghetto from Oakland, or military descendants lost in the mix. No jobs for Blacks not temp agencies, not part time, not service industry. Blacks suffer severely here. Do not come here. The heyday here was 30 to 40 years ago. If you are here leave. You’ll never survive on salary only here….if you are Black here. Did I mention anti Black hate groups are rampant here as well as gangs. You’ll never have real business dealings or friends outside the Black race here. Race is a business factor and tool here. Do not come here to Sacramento California area period to make it if you are Black. South Sacramento is dead…what else is there to say predominately minority & poor whites = no jobs , horrible school system K thru PHD. bad housing, high crime LA & San Diego & San Francisco much better for Blacks. Sacramento has NO Economic base or Economic foundation. BLACKS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN’S, NEGROS DO NOT come to Sacramento California there is nothing here. NO JOBS FOR BLACKS.PERIOD.NO OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACKS. PERIOD.#######################################

…NO OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACKS. PERIOD.#######################################
Was it mentioned that there are also no business opportunities in Sacramento California nor any Civil Rights nor Equal Opportunity in SACTOCA they tried to run off the NAACP here and attempted to shutdown the Urban League that shows you what kind of city it is and there’s a lot of tension between Blacks & Latinos (the poor ones that is) not with the rich or upper middle class & educated Latinos….(a lot of BLACKS speak/comprehend Spanish in SACTOCA). There is no Black industry, nor Black business community here. NO Black entertainment or Black music or Black shows or Black Atheletes nor Black Sports..
BLACK AMERICA divest from Sacramento California the principal of economic civil rights and economic freedom for all has not sunk in or grasped Sacramento California. AUTHOR of original article please read, acknowledge and heed. ##################### Oh there is one place set up for Blacks: Folsom as in Johnny Cash Folsom. The only place set up for Blacks in Sacramento, Ca./ SACTOCA.

To all the socalled black women complaining, keep this in mind it takes 2. Yes, 2 to get pregnant, 2 build a strong family, 2 create a legacy of wealth to leave to those children. In the meantime, close your legs, get a clue and a brain, and stop blaming Black men for what you are responsible for which is your body. Otherwise continue to see worthless children, dead beat dads, crime ridden neighborhoods, no political or economic power and so on.
With that said, I am wondering why the author(s) never addressed best rural places for Blacks? We as a people must also have land ownership so that we become producers of what we eat. Ya Gotta eat!!! Or has everyone forgotten that. I get along with all races, but I am no fool. You have to own your own as well. All other races do and they do not look totally to urban centers as that would be precarious and foolhardy. We should be both in cities and in the country (note not just suburbs). I would like to see a followup article discussing “Best Rural Places” for Blacks. Thank you for this article in the meantime.

Thank you for your comment. I do agree that blacks ought to be producers as well. How to achieve that production or the possibilities/opportunities for production are greater in Metropolitan areas because of the critical mass. Rural production relies largely on having something extremely unique with minimal needs for production, i.e agricultural production.

Most persons of African descent in America are looking to relocate from urban/metropolitan areas to another metropolitan area. My strengths are in urban and regional development. I do not know what variables would help to rank a rural area over another, largely due to the geological and climate conditions.

hi, I’m the 40 yrs. old f/b from Peoria az. I love this site. I really appreciate the comments here. Its so nice to see everyone have the same question in mind. my question is …. is there really a city in America for black people or black families. I don’t wont to be negative but I don’t believe there is a ” best rural place for blacks”. you will experience racism until it is born out of America. watch and see, then ask that question in another 100 yrs.. lol in the meantime, I will continue sharing my experience and knowledge to others whether its negative or positive. this website confirmed or educated me on places I did not know about.. I appreciate the negative and positive comments.. so keep it up black folks! also I’ve
decided to go into business and become an owner operator and buy my own semi… thanks

I do not because of the differences in calculations for school districts and the differences in school district ratings. However, if you’d like further assistance please feel free to contact me via e-mail [email protected]

I was born and raised in Portland and have been to Seattle many times.I am a black male and moved to Atlanta a few years ago and married a sister from Famu.Portland and Seattle are very expensive the weather terrible and have the blandest Black people ever.I love Atlanta it has offerd many oppertunitys for my family and I.Every city has pros and cons trust me ive been to just about all of them in America,so Anonymous stop being negative on ATL over and over again.Many people I know are moving from the Northwest and staying here because they love it.

I,m sorry.. I,m a black male highly educated and well to do I must admit that I agree with the posts on Atlanta it takes a while of living in Atlanta to see what its really about..most blacks move to Atlanta without a clue if you are transferring your section 8 or food stamps to move to Atlanta then you have no business moving ..highly acclaimed economist paul krugman say the economic mobility in Atlanta is among the lowest in the nation a 4(meaning its hard to be middle class here if your poor and struggling )most jobs he say are located way away from most blacks in white enclaves he is right again most blacks don’t have cars nor can afford the long commutes if they do have one for 8 dollars and hour more or less..you movedfrom Portland to Atlanta and have been to Seattle many times I say wrong move you have access to a way better quality of life in those 2 places then Atlanta which leads the nation in suburban poverty ,lack of health care for the poor and middle class and the republican governor here is fighting hard here to keep Obama care from happening!! the pay here unless your highly educated doesn’t compare to the metro Atlanta,s cost of living but then I know plenty of highly educated in Atlanta making a poor salary all in the name of living in Atlanta and not living up to their potential finanacialy…paul krugman the economist names Atlanta the next Detroit and I agree…upon getting our kids through college I and the wife plan on retiring to Seattle which I really think is a much better place to live and offers a great quality of life more so then hot humid,sticky,crime saturated racist Atlanta…Atlanta is and always will be a big southern city with southern mentality in my opinion

I agree mr st.james…Georgia and Atlanta…Georgia..no 5 in poverty,no.9 in unemployment rate.no5 in most uninsured..i,m also gonna add more racist per capita..as southern poverty law says racist hate groups in Georgia and metro Atlanta has jumped 300%since the president was elected beating out most states including Mississippi..meanwhile blacks in Atlanta slaughter each other daily here(its horrible)whatever happen to black pride and dignity..black on black crime owns and dominates the 6 occlock news here..i,m dissaponted I always thought of Atlanta as black and unified..its the opposite so much black self hate here and ignorance..i gotta get my child outta of here soon…

I lived in Atlanta for 1.5 yrs and it was awful! I am a native of Washington DC, but lived in Massachusetts and NYC for undergraduate and graduate school. I returned to DC about 12 years ago and it has been a good place for me. The job market is excellent, and dating is good. However, if you are an African-American woman and you want an African-American husband, you might have to meet him somewhere else and get him to move here! That’s what I did. Many of the men in DC have commitment issues, but you will have no problem dating. The best thing about DC is that there’s always stuff to do. I do think that there is racism here, especially in northern VA, but that hasn’t stopped people from hiring me. The cost of living is extremely high, so that’s a negative. My husband and I made 180K last year, but live in a house built in 1939 that needs many repairs – it’s what we can afford. If you need a house like one that is on house hunters, it might be difficult to reconcile with the reality of housing costs in the DMV. However, if you are willing to move out to the suburbs, you can find something cheaper, but then you’d be away from everything that’s good about DC I’ve never been offered a full-time job less than $55K in DC and have turned down work, and there’s nothing particularly special about me. If you have a master’s degree and are hard working, you can get multiple jobs in DC.

I and my husband live in San diego(love it)my white Italian husband with 4 kids..have no disire to live anywhere else..my husbands company sends him to Atlanta on business trips their..i never been to the south only read about it..recently my husbands company had an company get together their..every year he did not want me to go with him even though I,m curious to see just how much it has changed if it all in the south but my husband was firm on me not going ..well finally he broke down to tell me why..at his all white company in Atlanta that nothing has changed but a bit decorated he says some of the racist low opinions and jokes about blacks their and WHAT THEY REALLY THINK ABOUT BLACKS WAS APPALLING!!!he had to play golf with a lot of white businessmen and he said everything was peppered with the ‘N’ word.and how some of the whites bragged about how they duped or got over on blacks..he said he didn’t want me or his kids exposed to that..he recently had a confrontation with a co worker their about a harsh racial comment about blacks and Italians have nasty tempers lol..well it safe to say some parts of the country have changed but some areas ssimply give good reprensentation..have never been south and really have no desire..no thank you..you can have Atlanta…and the so call new south…

and where would that be?? do tell..i also am quite disappointed in Atlanta after 3 yrs..hateful racist whites that have deep hate for you and the blacks are hateful and arrogant and filled with self hate and ignorance and limited thinking and most blacks here are in competition with each other deeply meanwhile making 30k on the very low paying jobs here..Georgia 6th most racist states in the country and you feel it in the metro Atlanta area truly..source(top10.com)and a whopping no1 in suburban poverty!!!!!!!hey Atlanta Detroit is calling…I,m saving my ass off to get out of here..i,m even jumping on pennies in the walmart parking lot…Atlanta may be for some but not for me!!!

Hi I am a 45 year old recent graduate from a doctoral program in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville was rated in the top 5 most depressed cities. Racism is rampant. Police brutality is awful and crime is high in the West End (Black area) but that is because there are few opportunities for Black males here. I know that European men have inferiority issues, thus they project their self hatred onto African (Black) men. On the other hand, they love Black women so life tends to be much easier in the U.S. for African (Black) women. Having said that, I could live anywhere in the U.S. with my degree and be fine. HOWEVER, I am an expert on Black male college retention and I’ve done work in Black male psychology. Translation: I LOVE BLACK MEN. So it is hard for me reside in racist areas and cities with high incarcerations of Black men. Additionally, I have Black male sons! Three of them. Although they are adults, I couldn’t bare the thought of relocating to a place where they would be unsafe. I would like to know if anyone has done research on or has info on best places/safest places to live for Black males. My family is very close and we are considering relocating as a family. We are considering Jacksonville, Florida. Any ideas about Jacksonville?

I am leaning towards agreeing with “Anonymous” who posted on Sept 6 at 1:52: the best place for Africans to live is IN AFRICA! Leaning towards expatriation, because racist whites, fearing their minority status on the planet, and genetic annihilation and angered by their recessive genetics, continue to disrespect, marginalize, criminalize and murder are kings/Black men. I can’t bare it. I digress. Any information on Jacksonville? This could be my next move prior to going home to Africa. Thank you, kindly. This was an excellent forum. The author(s) did a phenomenal job! I commend the many articulate responders, as well. Thank you!

Be careful if you choose Jacksonville. It’s on the border of Georgia. Florida is not a place for black folks, period. If you want to be in Jacksonville, do it only for a season. If you plan on driving or your sons, get ready for the cops to pull you over and wait on the rest of the police department to come as well. Since you have means, you will be able to avoid less desirable neighborhoods wherever you go. Jacksonville has nice private schools, few good public schools, choice locations near water, gated communities, rural communities on outskirts, slightly above average prices, colleges, crime from the top to the bottom, but, every place is what you make it. Just be careful if you are taking road trips. It all depends on the type of lifestyle you want to have. Do you want city living, or country living with a wrap around porch where you can drink sweet tea? Every negative place mentioned may work for some folks because of what they can make out of it. Finances is a big part of that. You get what you are willing to pay for. I wish the best for you, my sister. Pray and ask God to show you the heart of the city you plan to move to before you do it. He will not fail to show quickly, if you really want it.

Thanks so much for this list. It is absolutely great. My husband asks every year what happened to the Black Enterprise list! We are originally from the DMV area and moved to Raleigh, NC. Let me say this, I had a TON of preconceived notions of what “The South” would be like. I was all prepared for the klan, bigots and such. To my surprise I’ve not encountered a fraction of the mess I encountered back home. Seven years in NC and these are some serious truths I’ve come to understand. 1) Class/economics can have a bigger impact than race. 2) Context is huge. By context I mean this, if your dealing with white people who have only dealt with uneducated, poor blacks, they are quick to come at you sideways. Once they understand where you are coming from they quickly fall back. 3) To know better is to do better. If you are educated, carry yourself that way. My first job was at a Dept of Social Services as a Master’s Level Social Worker. My co-worker, also Master’s level told me to not put my credentials behind my name because my supervisor wouldn’t like it. I laughed….hard, thinking she was joking. She was dead serious and concerned for my job. I told her the supervisor can go get a Master’s as well and I have no intention on dumbing down to make her feel better. The historical submissive relationships with blacks and whites down here run deep and are passed down from generation to generation. I’ve had black professional friends not drive their BMW to work because they don’t want their white co-workers to know they are doing well. I was shocked, blown away and just in awe. In my mind, in order to change those patterns blacks have to stop giving whites the impression they are the only ones educated, capable of suceeding and living well.

In 2007 we started a business and have continued to grow ever since. We’ve gone into very rural areas and dominated in our field. Are white people shocked when they realize we are black? Yes. Havewe lost business or not been given a opportunity because we are black? Not to date. The playing field is wide open when you are doing your own thing. In 9-5 jobs there is a sense of us and them. But again we can’t run around spooked. Be the professional you know how to be. Speak up for yourself and you’d be surprised at how folks adjust. If you keep bowing down and falling into stereotypical behavior patterns don’t be surprised at how you are treated.

The DMW area is great, but it’s expensive. The grind can be stressful. While we would love to go back home we can’t fathem the amount of money we’ve have to spend to get a home and educate our children. If you live in the burbs you’re paying a grip to live (500,000 and up) for a home. If you live in the city proper you pay a grip and you have to factor in a grip to educate your child because DC public schools are no where. Best believe there can be a ton of fakery and smoke screens. Not everyone is gettin it in DC. However there is no better feeling then being out and about and seeing us represented across the board. That is definitely missing in Raleigh. It is very white washed here. Raleigh/Cary is very vanilla. Durham is much more diverse. You see the rainbow in Durham. Chapel HIll, vanilla as well. Stereotypes abound. But I will say this, the area is becoming much more diverse because people are moving from all over because of the jobs. It’s a welcome change and the area is embracing it well. Some of the good ol boys are screaming and kicking but they can’t stop the tide of people and the change that comes with it. I agree Raleigh /Cary is great, but it is great for families. Same for Chapel Hill, Durham is a mix. Durham gets a bad rap and needs some serious PR. I wouldn’t come here at all if I were single. Even DC is tricky for single folks.

Hello everyone, I’m new to this blog site and was really impressed by some of the comments I’ve read. However, I felt obligated to share some of my experiences with you all since everyone on this site was generous enough to share theirs. “Remember, I am expressing my opinions, everyone has different experiences“. First, I would like to share some things about myself and of my traveling experiences. I’m a Black American male and a south Florida native, raised in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. I moved away from south Florida (Fort Lauderdale/Miami), partly because the job market was horrible there and still remains that way today. Also, it has become overly populated with people from other countries and states which has elevated the crime rate. If you plan to relocate to Florida, I recommend Tampa or Jacksonville area. Both have a decent school system and are developing cities which widens the job market. Since leaving Florida, I’ve resided in Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, suburbs of Newark, NJ and I’m currently living in the DC Metro area or (DMV). I find the cost of living here ridiculously high and frankly, everything I heard about the Metro area appears to be overrated. My opinion, the dating scene here is contingent on your age group. I find here in DC that there is a large generation gap, meaning that you meet people in their early twenties who are attending college here then upon graduation they relocate to the lower states for a better quality of life. In other words, the twenty/thirty something crowd is almost non-existing here. In all my travels around the country, I would have to say that Houston, TX by far is the best place for male/female, young/old and single/married. The school system is excellent, they are home to some of the most prestigious colleges/universities, the dating scene is great for both men and women and the quality of life is wonderful. Because of employment and career advancement moves I was put in a position where I had to leave Texas, but I’m looking at returning ASAP.

This is amazing, First time i searched anything like this and I’m glad to see so many comments and different opinions that are similar to mine. iIam currently in Boston living in arguably one of the whitest neighborhoods in the country. Newton MA, (which actually won 9th as America’s Best Suburbs). I basically grew up here because my parents wanted us to come to the best schools we could find. It’s very uncommon to see other black people around here and I’m more than ready to leave. I’m just finishing up my AAS and plan to relocate to the west coast to get my BA’s. I am thinking of moving to the west coast but am lost on exactly where. Maybe Somewhere in CA or WA, Seattle. My biggest issue here, is the constant racism (or worry about it even with people you know). It’s the type of hidden, sneaky racism that will hidden in plane sight. Here in Boston, because there is such a small number of blacks and the historic roots of the white families that have lived here generation after generation its rare to find people with truly open minds on a daily business. I’m sick of having to deal with open racism day after day. And because i live in an all white suburb. its absolutely isolating. I need some culture and some diversity.

Anyway enough ranting, I’m just glad i found this website and hopefully someone can help me decide where to move!!

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and it is a very diverse city. There are plenty of jobs, plenty of nice neighborhoods/apartments, we have ghettos but I’m not afraid to walk down the street in the hood, blacks date blacks, but blacks date other races too. The white men love black women, there are plenty of bars, lounges, restaurants for blacks, but they are mainly mixed. There is a huge Hispanic community and to be honest they are starting to take over the city, but Latinos and Blacks date each other. Houston is very spread apart so you will definitely need a car. The public transportation system sucks which includes (metro bus and railway system). We have the best medical center but our downtown is not that great. I have never and I mean NEVER experienced racism in Houston and I have lived here my whole life. My first time experiencing racism is when I began traveling for my job and at the age of 29 I experienced racism for the first time in my life!!!! I was called a nigger bitch by two white men for no apparent reason as I was walking into a store in Missouri. I then experienced racism in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, south Carolina, north Carolina, and Kansas. I was shocked! I was completely unaware that racism still exist. Living in Houston you don’t realize you’re black. In Houston it’s actually what they call reverse racism (although blacks can’t be racist). White people don’t mess with black people in Houston and they actually kiss our ass. In Houston blacks have a sense of pride and carry the attitude of I’m black,so you better not fuck with me. (sorry for the profanity,but that’s the way it is). Black people are educated in Houston and we’re proud of it. I am a 31 year old black female and I have been in Houston my whole life. I visited Seattle and I feel in love. I am a writer and Seattle inspired me. I felt no racial tension in Seattle, but realized there is not a lot of black people and the black men date mostly white women, but I don’t care because I love the atmosphere and beauty of the city and I am willing to date outside of my race. There are a lot and I mean A LOT, of biracial children running around Seattle. Go downtown and you will see what I mean. The white people are uneducated about black culture, but they are relaxed around blacks. Seattle does have their ghettos for example SeaTac, but their ghettos are like suburbs compared to Houston’s ghettos, and that’s on a good day in Houston’s ghettos.

Overall Houston is wonderful city for blacks, whether your single/married/straight/gay. There’s a little bit of everything. The cost of living is cheap and you get a lot of space and bang for your buck. Exxon is building their new headquarters in Houston so a plethora of jobs are about to open up. Oh yeah, and finding a job in Houston is next to nothing.

I’m leaving because I’m into the arts and Houston is not an artistic city. It’s more for professionals, families, and just regular 9 to 5 type people. Seattle has more of what I’m looking for artistically.

Ghettos in Houston: acres home, 5th ward, 3rd ward, 4th ward, south park, anything near the 610 loop. I know that seems like a lot but you have to remember. Houston is 80 miles wide and 80 miles long and there are a lot of suburbs too. There are also a lot of freeways so don’t trip out about that. Houston is very easy to maneuver.

ok I’m going to end this post I hoped I answer a lot of your questions about houston. If you have anymore questions about Houston you can email me at [email protected] I have lived in every part of Houston and it’s my hometown, so I consider myself and expert on H-town and will answer as many questions as I can.

p.s. I live in the suburbs but have lived in the hood. The southwest and northwest side of Houston is the most dangerous. You will see those sides of town on the news the most. I live on the northeast which is a slower pace, but I travel to the southwest to shop….lol.

FYI; Houston police don’t play and they don’t allow crime to get out of hand. We had that gang MS13 in Houston and they shut that down quick. Gangs have a hard time flourishing in Houston. Houston may not be very pretty and it maybe flat but Houston has money.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed information in the comment section and to the author who penned an informative read. I’m a 31 year old African America male born and raised in Tampa, Fl. I’ve also lived in New York City, Atlanta, St Louis, Oakland, and currently Anaheim (outside of L.A.). Out of all the places I’ve lived so far I would only recommend a AA to move to Atlanta and i’ll explain why later.

When people think of Florida they usually visualize palm trees, beaches, and a vacation life style. Tampa is anything but. Although it is a growing city with a thriving job market, and low cost of living, the racism their can be over the top. In Tampa there is no such thing as an affluent AA area or neighborhood. The “good side of town” is the white side of town. Any area that is predominately AA is run down and crime ridden. If you do not “play the game” you will not be successful in Tampa. Also in Tampa it is hard to find other AA families that you can build with. Many of you may not know this, but in 2008 Tampa put up the biggest confederate flag in the U.S. right next to 2 major highways that over 100,000 people drive past daily. Nuff said. Also the humidity of the city is unbearable in the summer, but the fact that Tampa never gets snow is a plus.

New York City was a very unique place but, the cost of living, traffic, freezing weather, segregation, and congestion were all an issue for me. Harlem has been re gentrified and is no longer what it used to be from what I’ve heard. Living in New York was a culture shock for me, being that I’m from the south. The congestion of the city usually kept me uncomfortable. The congestion in my opinion is what makes New Yorkers so hostile. I’m a laid back guy, and New York is the complete opposite. I won’t even get into the cost of living; it is unbearable. Also the city was very segregated. AA lived in one area, Asian in another, Jews in over here, Hispanics over there, etc. I love to visit New York, but it’s a place I could never live again, especially trying to raise a family. On a positive note, the food was the best!

St Louis was the worst place I’ve ever lived and I never plan on returning, not even for a visit! The city is run down and riddled with abandoned buildings and old housing. The majority of the AA there are ghetto and ignorant!!! If you’re looking for diversity, keep looking. The city is 50% Black and 50% White, and segregated!!! The city has no type of culture or flavor. The food was terrible, the education system was even worst, the pay was low, and the crime was high! The relationships between AA was on life support. This is not the place to settle down. Do your self a favor and stay far away!!!

Oakland is also no place for AA to settle down. The AA here are very similar to the ones in St Louis (ignorant), which makes it hard to build relationships with them. Just like St Louis and Tampa, the AA don’t even acknowledge one another with as much as a head nod. Sad…. I know. Oakland is also a run down city with a cost of living that is through the roof! I guess this is due to it being so close to San Francisco. Any area in Oakland that contains AA is run down and poverty stricken. A major misconception is that Oakland is prominently AA. The city is actually majority Hispanic, like many of the cities in California. In short, stay away.

Atlanta blew me and my wife away when we first visited. Coming from racist Tampa, Atlanta was everything we were missing. AA held positions of authority, lived in affluent areas, were educated, and were welcoming and easy to build with. We actually saw many AA couples, which was a rare sight for us, because many AA males in Tampa were into white women. The cost of living, entertainment, food, beauty of the city, southern hospitality, and atmosphere were right on point for us. What drove us from Atlanta was the job market. I struggled to find a good job in Atlanta on multiple occasions. At one point we had to move away for me to secure employment. We eventually moved back to Atlanta and I still had no luck with finding a good job although I held a Bachelor’s Degree. We eventually had to move again! I love Atlanta, but with its terrible job market I was forced to love it from a far.

My wife and I are currently planning our escape from Anaheim. The city is not a bad place to live, but their is absolutely no AA presence here. L.A. shockingly doesn’t have much of an AA presence its self; its majority Hispanic. We love LA but the traffic, cost of living, and lack of AA presence is just too much for us. We have even noticed that our children are starting to feel uncomfortable here due to the lack of AA culture. We are planning on moving next summer and we’ve narrowed our choices down to moving to Houston, or back to Atlanta IF I could secure a good job FIRST. Any info that someone could provide me on Houston is very much welcomed.

ATLANTA ..is the most racist area in the country..poor infrustructure,horrible crime 9th worst crime in america,education sucks and the blacks are just as ignorant as all the other city you mentioned and unity among blacks is a myth here..its about soritey sisters,or fraternity brothers here from the few blacks in charge here..most blacks hold a in name only position here as whites in the wealthy northern suburbs control everything..most blacks 80% are in or near poverty(Atlanta ranks no1 in suburban poverty where most blacks live)pay is low,and the economic mobility rating here is a paltry 4(meaning its hard to get from poor to middle class or middle class to upper middle class)the job market stinks here as Atlanta was hit hard by the economic downturn and isnt recovering as fast as many cities as unemployment still hovers over 9% and 16.8% of blacks are jobless and 40%are in low paying positions out of thier field making most miserable and bitter …dont drink the Atlanta tea you might find it poison Atlanta,s best days have come and gone…Seattle in my honest opinion has the best oppertunties for blacks with the raliegh /durham area being second

I would like to see if you had a graph or data that somehow listed the best cities for single blacks. Males in particular. That would be most likely for other races to be interracial, or highest percentages of black couples. I live in Atlanta and there seems to be a growing trend where the successful black women are fleeing from black males, and only going for white or asian men. I have come across many instances where finding a black woman that shares my common interests is not even possible as they refuse to even look in my direction. Of course there are plenty of the lower grade, ghetto, common black girls that will always love black men. But the educated, mature and interesting ones crave white men. If black women don’t want want black men, nor asians, nor white women, where does that leave the single black male? Perhaps it’s just Atlanta though I would like to find some better opportunities for a dating scene.

This website has been the absolute best and I truly thank everyone for their honest opinions. I have lived in Phoenix for 2 years now and am considering moving soon. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous but the heat can be excruciating! I mean I understand African Americans originate from Africa but I don’t think I will ever get use to 115 degree weather! And although the plus side could be that it’s sunny 300 days out if the year that can also be a downside. People here are excited if it rains 2 min in the day or if its cloudy just for an hour in the morning. That’s how rare those days are. Think you will never tire of the sun? AZ will test your limits.

The African American community is almost non existent. Hispanics and Mexicans make up the majority of the population which makes since seeing that Mexico is close enough. Blacks are not the targeted group so there is little racism towards blacks. Job opportunities are more in favor of whites and blacks so finding a good job and getting promoted is fairly easy for those with at least a BA. The cost of living is amazing when compared to your income. I make 40k and my rent for a wonderful 1 bed is 620. AZ has a lot of space and lots of wonderful affordable apartments to live in.

Problem?? The dating scene is horrible!! I think for every black woman there are 100 white women and 300 Hispanic women! And let me tell you the black men have no problem entertaining those options. About 95% of the black men I see they are with Hispanic or white women. And the black couples I see are older and after meeting some of them they let me know they were together before they moved to AZ. Now don’t get me wrong love doesn’t have a color…I get it. But there is this “I hate black women” attitude that the black men seem to have here that concerns me.

I am considering Seattle as well. I have heard great things about it. I have also heard that the weather can be depressing. Is that true??

South Carolina can also be called, “Little Africa”. Some areas have high concentrations of black folk and culture. Charleston, SC draw crowds year round because of it’s diverse culture, strong Art presence, gourmet dining, leisure activities, and beaches and surrounding islands. Of course the surrounding islands whose habitation include the wealthy , are also occupied by the descendants of the first blacks to be brought through the ports. Much like the Beaufort, Hilton Head, Hardeeville, South Carolina areas, and the surrounding Savannah, Ga black populace have a mixture of the ancient culture as well. In these areas blacks have become their own businessmen to serve the tourist industry, hospitality industry, or tradesman who cater toward wealthy families who visit seasonally and have homes in the areas. You can start your own cleaning company or tax firm and do very well.

You will find it quite unlawful to take pictures of celebrities on Hilton Head, as it is not permitted. Many authors from SC write about the culture without end, and are usually celebrated for their work. Other jobs flourishing in these areas are for medical and educational professionals, lawyers, accountants, real estate, and anything involving skilled labor. If you are handy, start a business (plumbers, heating/air repair, washer/dryer repair will make you a quick millionaire, lol…painting, landscaping, auto repair,etc). Charleston has Airforce and Navy bases. Beaufort has Marine Corps bases.

Columbia (SC’s capital) has an Army and Airforce base, SAME workforce as listed above, and a huge political presence (if your job involves politics), and if your work involves sports, this place is ideal. The city and county government is made up of a good percentage of blacks. There are city and county jobs. Many are occupied by blacks. The mayor is black and is on his second term. Festivals usually take place very often (as also in Charleston). There are many colleges (as also in Charleston, 1 in Beaufort, 1 in Hilton Head, Savannah has several). Lots of blacks moved to the capital, causing white flight. Lots of whites moved to rural areas or out of state. Columbia does have a hip vibe however, just like all other cities listed, there is an area or two you will not want to live, and anybody will let you know if you are looking for a place. The rural areas of SC are for those who want privacy and a slower paced life style. Blacks are in the rural areas as well. Some towns are completely black and some are completely white. Some are mixed.The capital and heavily populated areas are very diverse. There are museums, theaters, concert halls, etc.

Since schools were forced to end segregation, most cities opened private schools that were predominantly white in that era. Hint: you may experience racism. Some places you can’t tell, some places you can. Cities with a predominantly black population, could care less and do well. Never visit or move to Marion County. Most people are friendly. The younger generation is very diverse and vibrant. Many white folks are making a deliberate effort to change the ways of the past and are very welcoming. There is also a large influx of Northerners in the capital and a percentage from other countries. You will see lots of interracial dating and marriage and you will also see black dating and marriage. There are many educated and cultured black singles and there are ghetto types, too. The colleges play a big role in the capital and are partnered with many companies who provide jobs to graduates or jobs to people who have just completed certificates in a short amount of time at the local community college.

Rock Hill is very family oriented and friendly. Its a nice sized city, however, major shopping outside of it’s malls and restaurants is about 15 min away in Charlotte. It is a very safe place. Greenville has already been mentioned several times in previous posts.

Your relationship with God should always be first and your body, which is His temple, should never be neglected of communication with Him and filling of His Word. I say that because plenty people move and struggle finding a church among so many, and they miss out on the fact that they are the church that Christ created…not a building. The downfall of our communities is because we always running looking for fulfillment and not placing that fulfillment in us through the Word and prayer w/God. Thirty minutes in prayer and the Word with everybody in your house once a day, will change our world! A person in a pulpit becomes and idol if they can control you and you can’t hear from God about your own house. That’s your fault. Didn’t He whip them out the temple and say that He came to put an end to that. That the Holy Spirit is now taking the place of temple worship. God bless!

I lived in Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett, WA in a four year period. It’s hit or miss there. The crime IS lower, and education is decent. I just didn’t like it there because it is highly racist there, in my opinion…you just may not catch it. Dating is not something I’m focused on, but I noticed questions about that. IF YOU ARE A BLACK WOMAN-PRETTY OR UGLY, MOST BLACK MEN WON’T WANT TO DATE/TALK TO YOU. DO NOT take your boyfriend/husband there and think women there will back down. I’ve had women ask to sleep with me and my boyfriend. NO JOKE. You will be profiled there by whites and white-washed blacks. You will find some nice ones too, but there aren’t many there. I felt so out of place, and I HAD friends. The cost of living is high, but, if you get lucky with decent employment, you can make it there. That is the only reason I’m considering going back myself.

How would you guys like it if we made a forum for you to interact in? There’s a lot of useful information here. Could be even more useful if you were actually able to legitimately touch base with each other.

Have you ever thought about looking into Blacks abroad. As in where our culture is most prosperous. London, Australia, Canada just to name a few. I have definitely been looking at Canada considering their monetary system and where it is today. However, I want to say this is great information and I have been tagging along on your findings for a couple years now.

I have lived in, worked in or travelled to 39 states. First I’ll mention the ones I know nothing about (from the perspective of never having been there). ME, VT, NH, CT, RI etc.. you get it ..never the northeast… yet.

Currently I am in ATL and cannot wait to leave. I only have this to say about it. If you think this is the new south or the south of the north or any of the names and claims of ATL… think about this; this the south, nevertheless and all that being in the south implies or connotates. You dig? I will not dwell on the negatives as they might be simply preferential. But it is not the worst By far!

Dallas Tx (DFW)? Hated it. Its like the midwest of the south. the worst parts of each ….combined w/ triple digit temperatures for most of the summer. It’s still the south. If you are a southerner you might not get any of this. Enjoy. What does it mean what I like?

Ok… in the interest of brevity let me get down to “brass tacks”. The best I’ve ever done and the most opportunities ever afforded me, offered to me or realistically and viably in reach of me.. was Minneapolis MN. By far! While there I worked in IT as desktop support, network adminstrator, EDI analyst etc… all w/o a degree. MPLS is the only place i know of where it’s truly seemed to be not who you know … but what you know. I know a lot. But I am not pedigreed.

Cheyenne WY… one of the best kept secrets in the USA. I can think of nothing bad or negative. Low crime. Low cost of living. Close proximity to Denver if you have a need for “the big city”. Wait a minute… drumroll please…. great place to raise kids!! Wyoming is BEAUTIFUL. Like no place on earth as far as scenery goes. No ghettos to speak of. all the Black folks do ok. Some good, some better but it seemed that nobody was doing bad. That’s something to say… all by itself.

Houston TX. Hot as hell, but lots of professional Black people with great incomes and a low cost of living. I would consider it over ATL anyday. And tons of VERY GOOD restaurants. Not a factor? Houston is the onliest (onliest, right?) place I would consider for the food alone! EXTREMELY good food. and a very diverse population. There are black folks running around who’s last name is Wu and Yang. No joke.

Number four. I’m looking for it. Why? Minnesota is a whole new dimension of cold. Yoyu might have THOUGHT you knew what cold was. But you have no idea if you haven’t experienced MN or ND. BTW, Williston ND has the lowest unemployment rate … probably in the WORLD right now. Oil boom! Why take my word for it – Google it. Houston ….. I am still not sure. I experienced hurricanes Katrina and Rita when I was there. Let me rephrase that. I exoperienced the EVACUATION and it was not pretty! Cheyenne. Who knows?

The rest of them are in the middle somewhere… not impressed one way or the other.

I will say this if you do not mind not living in a huge city. Western Nebraska (Scottsbluff) Western SD (Rapid City) Again, Cheyenne, WY.

Some places I just cannot dislike… Mississippi, but I would not live there. (I hate the south except Mississippi but I’m biased!) my ancestors are from MS (LOL) But if a person can roll with that southern “thang” (whatever it takes to adapt – I don’t know), there are many professional Black folks in Jackson MS. Many from other places.

Well there you go. I got through this wit a minimal amount of negativity which was my aim. But having actually exoperienced many, many places, Twin Cities tops the list. Houston is probably next.

Third… I don’t know. I’m thinking VT or NH. They are in the top ten states of the states with the lowest unemployment.

Any comments on VT, HH, CT that area? I think ME might be a bad choice, but I don’t know.

I absolutely love this site. I read the comments through and through prior to relocating. I am originally from the Twin Cities better known as cold as hell. And moved to none other than Houston or better known as hot as hell, but honestly the Twin Cities is great for career advancement and it’s a good place to raise your family if you don’t require a large professional black community. Having said all that, the need for a larger educated black community was one of the reasons that I left. I have been in Houston almost 2 months and so far so good. I actually came down here without a job and had to step out on faith as my plan A fell through so plan B was to just take off with what I had. I was able to find a really nice apartment close to the Cypress area and I got a job in a little over a month. I am a single woman with a 14 year old son and I had lived in the Twin Cities area for 30+ years and it was time to go. The brutal cold weather was a huge factor as well. I would take the excessive heat over the cold any day.

Houston is enormous, but it’s pretty easy to navigate. The traffic has not been that bad as bad as I thought it would be. There’s alternate routes and that makes it easy to get around. I haven’t had a chance to hang out and meet any new people yet but that’s okay I’m still getting used to my environment and working.

This is an interesting article. I am retired so I am probably older than you. You are focused on employment possibilities as well as other economic concerns that a younger person wouls need to consider in choosing a home. I am originally from St. Louis but way back when it was Jim Crow. Moved to LA to grow up with side trips in Kansas City and Buffalo. Things were much different then. LA had a bad reputation for teeneaged boys and the police were like the gestapo. I spent time in New York City too and felyt that it was not friendly to outsiders. As an adult I have lived in the Seattle area, La again, Vegas and am now in the Detroit area. My perspective might be a little different than most. detroit has a huge black population but have you been here? Lots of violence. It looks like a war was lost. La now belongs to Mexico and the other places I’ve been are problematic for one reason or another. I thought of Florida but found a lot of negative comments about it. I don’t think I could be comfortable anywhere in the south but I am tired of the cold weather. I even spent a year in the Philippines. Ask me about that sometime. Now the only place that might be suitable sounds like some part of Texas. We will see.

I live in the Atlanta metro area. Before that I lived in the Washington D.C. metro area for 9 years. I went to college in Chicago and grew up in Cinncinnati. I am upper income by African American standards, +100K. That said, I’d like to give some guidance to those thinking that moving to another city will solve all their problems. Being in the software industry, I have visited many American cities. It is true that some cities are more friendly to African Americans that others. That said, I believe I could be happy in most of the cities on your list. Once you earn enough money to provide the necessities of life, your happiness is more determined by what’s inside of you rather than what’s outside of you. Many people have unresolved internal demons, and many have unresolved emotional issues. No matter where you move to and no matter what the male/female ratio, these things will manifest, and they will challenge your happiness. I believe people in general, blacks in particular, are not honest enough with themselves and do not invest enough effort in making themselves better people. The healthier and more wholesome you are, the better almost any place looks.